There’s so much history between India and Pakistan, it felt almost voyeuristic to attend a border closing ceremony. Would it reflect the past antagonism? Was it almost provocative for both sides? It turns out, it’s neither.
The
ceremony happens nightly just outside of Amritsar, and it completely blew me
away. As soon as we began to wade our way through the crowds we were inundated
by an affront to the senses – people hawking flags, face painting, patriotic
wares… the atmosphere had that jubilant, festive feel.
Despite the fact this is
a very regular occurrence and we attended on a week day evening, the place was
packed, to the point that not all the revellers could fit within the confines
of the ceremony area.
Filtered
through to a specific tourist area, we were seated in a designated section with
a small handful of others. As we waited patiently for the spectacle to begin,
locals filled the seats, and music thronged through the air. Groups of girls
and woman spontaneously gathered and danced as popular Hindi songs blasted,
while spectators cheered and sang along.
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Above us
giant flags were waved, and the event really started. Processions, precise choreography,
impeccable pressed uniforms, cracking moustaches, impressively synchronised marching
and the most fantastic high kicks – it’s about as full of character as you can
get, all against a backdrop of the setting sun.
As the ceremony drew to a
close, both sides passionately cheered their allegiance, whipping up into a
delighted frenzy as the evening was sealed and drawn to a close with a
handshake, and the gates were shut.
It was a
phenomenal thing to witness, and highly recommended – a spectacle you shouldn’t
miss.
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