India Trip 2014
Wagah Border
One of the organized excursions as part of the anniversary
celebrations was a visit to the Wagah border between India and Pakistan, where a
ceremony occurs just before sunset every day. The border at Wagah consists of two gates facing each other,
one opening into India, and the other into Pakistan, with border security
forces on each side. Observers who
attend the ceremony sit in bleachers in their respective country. I’m not sure if this was just the day
we were there, but India’s bleachers were packed to capacity, whereas the Pakistan
side was a lot thinner.
While the crowd assembles and finds their seats, speakers
blast patriotic songs into the throng, loud enough to drown out the songs being
broadcast on the other side of the gate. Volunteers from the crowd run up and down with flags,
stirring up the crowd. Patriotism
too is a kind of religion, and it has its own rituals.
The ceremony consists of each country’s soldiers on their respective
sides doing a strange orchestrated aggressive speed walk towards their gates, kicking
up their legs when they arrive at the gate, raising their arms in triumph, and
then, at least on the India side, adjusting their turbans.
Here's a link to the whole
ceremony.
 |
| Volunteers run with flags before the ceremony |
 |
| India's Border |
 |
| Pakistani bleachers - men's side |
 |
| Pakistani bleachers - women's side |
 |
| Pakistani bleachers - women's side |
 |
| India bleachers - men and women together |
 |
| Sunset over Pakistan |
 |
| Indian soldiers prior to ceremony |
 |
| Two women start off the ceremony |
 |
| Speed March Toward Gate |
 |
| Pakistani and Indian soldiers tell each other what they think of each other |
 |
| Urdu for "Don't mess with me!" |
 |
| The all important head gear adjustment |
No comments:
Post a Comment