India-Pakistan Border Closing
The border-closing ceremony at Wagah (between India and Pakistan) has probably been around for quite a while, though it’s only recently that I’ve came upon this interesting video documenting the daily ritual of shutting the borders. Peacocking around with much fanfare and exaggerated stomping and marching, guards from both sides engage in what is probably the world’s most entertaining (bizarre?) ritual in border-administration.
From Wikipedia:
The Wagah border often called the “Berlin wall of Asia”, is a ceremonial border on India–Pakistan Border, where each evening, there is a retreat ceremony called ‘lowering of the flags’. At that time there is a very energetic and thrilling parade by the Border Security Force (B.S.F), India and the Pakistan Rangerssoldiers. It may appear slightly aggressive and even hostile to foreigners, but it really is just spectacular entertainment for the crowds with grandstands having been built on both sides. Troops of each country put on quite an entertaining show in their uniforms with their colorful turbans. Border officials from the two countries sometimes walk over to the offices on the other side for day to day affairs. The happenings at this border post have been a barometer of the India-Pakistan relations over the years.
Certainly more than your average passport stamping!
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well, me being an Indian is so happy the way things are goin at the border and its true that it might look bizarre at first and the stamping is so heavy ,but look out lowering flags is a lot and its done to show the friendliness from both sides ,BSF(India) and Rangers(Pakisan) are considered as elite forces in their respective countries .
Ashik, can you tell us where we can find some history or explanation of this ceremony…it is extremely intersting, but I didn’t find much of the background on the web.