Photos: 1,000 drones, laser dazzle Delhi skyline at Beating Retreat

As the setting sun painted the sky in evocative hues, the audience awaited the laser and drone shows after the army, navy, air force and central police bands had marched off. (Photos: Sanjeev Rastogi)

Tri-services bands perform during the Beating Retreat ceremony, at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi.

From what began as tiny specks in the sky above Rashtrapati Bhawan, the formations took various shapes as the show progressed.

This year, people could also immerse themselves in the additional illumination apart from the ceremonial lighting which usually livens up Vijay Chowk.

The show comprised 1,000 drones indigenously fabricated and configured by a startup of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, called BotLab Dynamics.

At one juncture, one could look up to the sky and marvel at the “75, Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” emblazoned alongside the tricolour against the dark sky.

Another first this year was the laser show. It projected the history of the country’s independence on the historic sandstone walls of the North Block and South Block.

Several chapters of history were brought alive with the promise of ushering in the “New India” in its 75th year of independence.

Accompanied by a crisp narration, the flickering images on Raisina Hill kept the crowd rapt for 10 minutes.

Apart from snippets that touched upon the freedom fighters, the laser mapping also revelled in India's cultural and religious diversity.

The audience, though limited in numbers due to the Covid-19 restrictions, was captivated to see the drones depicting the globe and then morphing into a map of India, Mahatma Gandhi, even an animated Make in India logo.

Drones depicting the globe and then morphing into a map of India.