Beating retreat ceremony was held at Vijay Chowk in New Delhi today marking the end of the three day Republic Day celebrations. 12 bands – 4 each from Army, Navy and Air force took part in the spectacular music, band and march display as they enacted the age old ceremony of beating retreat after the days battle and the one hour display kept the audience spell bound for an hour from 5 PM.AIR correspondent reports that curtains came down on the celebrations with the bandsmen impeccably turning out on the imposing Vijay Chowk square enthralling a huge audience with an electric mix of quick and slow marches.Indian tunes were the flavour this year. As many as 19 of the 25 tunes were composed by Indian musicians and just four popular by foreigners. They were interspersed with 'Fanfare', a collage by buglers and the 'Drummers' Call', a traditional performance by drummers. Other than the ever-popular 'Sare Jahan Se Achcha' and hymn written by a foreign poet, the rest of the tunes were played after a gap of at least a decade. The retreat saw participation of 12 military bands, 15 pipes and drums bands, 72 buglers and 12 trumpeters from various regiments of the Army taking part along with four bands each of the Navy and Indian Air Force.The ceremony came to an end with the bands playing to the strains of Gandhi Ji's favourite – Abide with me – and the tri-colour was lowered. Soon the sky over the Raisina Hills shone like the day with the Entire North and South Block and Rashtrapati Bhavan lit up to the cheers of the crowd.The President Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil, the supreme commander of the Armed Forces was the Chief Guest who took the salute as the National Anthem was played and the tri-colour unfurled. The Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, three Service Chiefs and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.