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The Wagah border ceremony is a daily military practice that takes place at the India-Pakistan border near the village of Wagah. This iconic event has become a symbol of the longstanding rivalry between the two countries, as well as a popular tourist attraction for visitors from around the world.
The ceremony involves elaborate drills and displays of patriotism by soldiers from both sides, culminating in a dramatic lowering of the flags and closing of the gates at sunset. This unique ritual continues to captivate audiences with its blend of tradition, pageantry, and tension.
The celebration takes place at the Wagah border with India on one side and Pakistan on the other. It's the Border Security Force (BSF) that performs on the Indian side. Dressed in their official uniforms, heads topped with red plumed hats, officers of the Border Security Force get prepped every evening for the 'dance-off' as I like to call it. The official ceremony of the lowering of the flags, which started in 1959, is performed by India and Pakistan at the same time after sunset.
The 'dance-off' is a friendly exchange of acrobatic high-kicks and swift pirouettes while the band plays popping tunes. The choreography has soldiers on both sides defiantly showing off their most elaborate dance moves.
The very animated celebration incites attendees from each country to yell, roar and whistle in encouragement. The booing starts once the rival country takes the stage. The atmosphere was so infectious I even sang along in Hindi, haha. It was so much fun; I felt like I was attending a rock concert!
After almost one hour of theatrics and highly-skilled dance moves, it was time for each side to lower their respective flags and close the border gates. Suddenly, the previously raucous crowds went silent as a sign of respect. Once both flags were completely lowered, everyone rushed from the bleachers down to where the officers were.
People queued up to have their pictures taken with the officers as if they were celebrities. Surprisingly, the officers were very friendly. They smiled for the cameras and shook hands with everyone. It was so strange and incredible at the same time. This celebration at the Wagah border was a highlight of my trip in India!
It's important to mention there was a suicide bombing in November 2014 (just a few weeks before I went) on the Pakistani side. The bombing killed more than 50 people and injuring hundreds. I don't know how it's organized on the Pakistani side, but I can confirm that security is tight on the Indian side. To get to the actual border, I had to pass frequent check points, several metal detectors and manual pat downs (done by women for women).
The guards were so vigilant they even took away my friend's lighter to be returned after the celebration. Bags were thoroughly checked or taken away if they were bigger than the permitted size. The parking lot is about 2 km from the actual border preventing any sort of unauthorized vehicle from entering the premises. Everyone is obliged to make their way on foot to the border.
The thought of a threat did linger in the back of my mind but that subsided as soon as the crowds started to roar. My worries were drowned by the blasting music. Eventually, I was more excited than anything else.
If ever you're in Amritsar, or in the state of Punjab, don't hesitate to hire a collective taxi to take you to the celebration at the border of India and Pakistan. The experience was like no other!
READ MORE ON INDIA:
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TRAVEL RESOURCES:
- Verify visa requirements for India on the official website
- Book flights to India via Skyscanner
- Compare hotel prices in India on Booking.com & Agoda
- Check hostel prices on HostelWorld
- Stay connected using an Airalo E-sim for India
- Search for tours & excursions in India
- Shop for affordable travel insurance with SafetWing
- Save on conversion fees while traveling with Wise
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Sheena Leong
I attended the ceremony at Wagah on my trip to India 2 years & loved it too – it was so much fun! I lost all my photos though (robbed on night train) so this brought back a lot of great memories. You describe it well, it’s like I was there again & I hope to be again one day 🙂
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We were there two years ago as well – maybe we were in the same crowd! 😉
Gel
this looked totally fun! And the dance-off the you mentioned seemed to be something worthwhile to observe and participate too.
Stephanie Frias
I’ve never heard of anything like this, I would definitely hang around to witness this display if the timing was right. It’s obvious from the grin on your face that you got a real kick out of this! The photos are neat and I only wish that you had a video, so I could fully experience it with you. Thanks for sharing!
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I’m pretty sure we have a video but I can’t find it! Will definitely post it if I do. 🙂
Wanderlust Vegans
That looks pretty intense with the rivalry. What a crazy event to do every day. It seems like it would be kind of intimidating to attend as an outsider.
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It wasn’t intimidating at all! We would usually be the center of attraction in India simply because we were Westerners but at this event all the excitement went towards the celebration and the guards so we felt like part of the crowd!
Colleen
What a thrilling experience!!! How cool to see a ceremony (errr dance off) from the 1950s! I really loved this post and can’t wait to read more of your adventures in India! Safe travels
Latitude Unknown
Awesome! I didn’t even know this was a thing (military dance-offs), but it looks amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing!
Pack Your Baguios
This sounds like the kind of random event that I love to attend. I would definitely make the trip to see this nightly dance-off!
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I’m sure you would enjoy it! 🙂
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There’s no winner (or loser for that matter) as it’s mostly to outdo the other side with their theatrics but it was so much fun!!
Spendlifetraveling.com
I had seen a video of this as well somewhere. Thanks for sharing this, it looks and sounds like a very unique experience! 🙂
Lauren West
I’ve never heard of this ceremony, but it definitely looks like something I’d like to attend! I could almost feel the energy there from reading your post. It must be awesome to experience it in person!
The Travel Ninjas
This event is so interesting. With all the tense relations between those countries, its very encouraging to them share in a fun, peaceful daily ritual. Thanks for bringing this cool, strange event to our attention.
Tracy Chong
I can tell that you did really enjoy the “performance” 😀 I think I saw the video about this somewhere online before and I agree that it is fun and interesting! Seems like have to put this into my bucket list already. 🙂
Khansa Bint AJ
I have never heard of this before. This happens everyday you mean? That is so interesting and something different for sure.
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Hi Khansa! Yes every day at sunset the lowering of the flags and closing of the borders takes place. 🙂
Jet Set Brunette
Dancing military personnel? That is serious amazing! I’ve never heard of this, so thanks for sharing your experience!
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My pleasure! It was so much fun!!
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I don’t know if the officials would appreciate me calling it a “dance-off” but the atmosphere was just so lively and entertaining, I couldn’t word it any other way!
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So glad you were inspired by this post! It was such a surreal experience! I’m assuming security was increased immensely after the bombing. It was very strange knowing the “tension” between those two countries and yet allowing such a “celebration” to take place. The contradictions in India never ceased to amaze me!
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Hi Juliette! I’m pretty sure my boyfriend filmed part of it but I’ve been looking for the video without success. 🙁
Sasha
YES! Isn’t it the funnest experience. I was dancing in the street with all the locals, it is such a great memory from my time in India. Were you treated like a celebrity? I have a hilarious video of hunders of people wanting to shake my hand, it was more intense there then anywhere else in India I think, probably because there were so many people in one place. I don’t remember having to have security checks in 2012, though my memory could just be bad! Awesome post, glad you got to see it for yourself!
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So happy to hear the opinion of someone who’s been and enjoyed it! I actually didn’t feel like a celebrity there (maybe people were more interested in the celebration) but I did feel like one all over India (and it got to be overwhelming).
Adventuroustrails
Awesome post! I didn’t know they did this! When I first started reading I was thinking, what about terrorists? And as I read on, I realized how strict the security measures are. That is reassuring and when I go to India, I will certainly try to fit this in my to-do-list too! Thanks for sharing!