Nepal army band set to play in ensemble as a return gift for performance by Mahar Regiment’s band

Officials said that an ensemble of the seven military bands will accompany the entire line up of the parade that includes marching contingents, weapons and equipment passage and spotlight tableaux that will feature various initiatives and advancements of the Indian Army.

The seven-band ensemble will feature the Nepal Army Band. Officials stated that the participation of the Nepal Army Band symbolises the strong historic bond between the Indian Army and the Nepal Army. It also reinforces the cultural and traditional ties shared by the two countries, reflecting the ongoing cooperation between both armies and nations. The Nepal Army Band contingent is set to arrive in Pune on January 10 and will start rehearsals with other bands in the run up to the main event on January 15, officials said.

In the second week of December last year when General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army was on a visit to India, the “reciprocal participation of Nepali Army Band in Indian Army Day parade was also discussed,” as per a press release from India’s Ministry of Defence. “To celebrate the occasion of 261st Raising Day of Nepali Army on March 8, 2024, Indian Army Band of Mahar Regiment visited Nepal from March 2 to 10, 2024 on special invite to participate in Nepali Army Day Parade conveying goodwill and best wishes from Indian Army to the Nepali Army,” a post on X by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu.

The historical bond between the Indian and Nepalese armies stem from the legacy of the Gorkha Regiment, where Nepalese soldiers have served with distinction in the Indian Army for over two centuries. This long-lasting tradition symbolizes mutual respect, valour and camaraderie. It was the tripartite agreement between India, Nepal, and the United Kingdom, signed at the time of India’s independence, that paved the way for the recruitment of Nepalese soldiers into the Indian Army in years after that.

The other bands in ensemble for the Army Day Parade will include the bands from Indian Army’s Madras Regimental Centre, the Bombay Engineer Group and Centre, the Guards Regimental Centre, the Army Service Corps Centre, the Corps of Military Police Centre and the band of the elite Parachute Regimental Centre. All these bands have their stories rooted deep into the military history of India.

For example, the band of the Madras Regimental Centre in its present composition was raised in 1951, it draws its roots from the tradition of the Madras Presidency from the time of British rule. The band of the Bombay Engineer Group and Centre in Pune’s Khadki, is one of the oldest military bands in the country and has the distinction of performing at various events of national and international significance. This band has the distinction of playing at events such as the coronation of the King of Bhutan, Republic Day Parades, Rashtrapati Bhavan events and also for film Gandhi where all military music for the film was played by this band, officials said.