Flag Ceremony at Wagah Border

India and Pakistan share a single border that cuts straight through the village of Wagah (30 km from Amritsar & 23 km from Lahore).

Google Image of Border
(Red Line indicates Border between Nations)

Every evening this border closes with a very picturesque ceremony, in which officials of both countries intervene: Indians dressed in Khakhi (Border Security Force), and the pakistani dressed in dark green (Pakistani Rangers).

At the sound of a bugle call, the representatives of both countries - the Pakistani Rangers, and the Indian Border Security Force – march quickly to the gates.

Border Security Force of India

Upon stopping, these guards throw forward one leg, as high as their own heads, and stomp it down to the ground. This is done while glowering fiercely at the opposite side. They than announce their contempt for each other with strong, emphatic displays of thumbs-down.The main event is that flags of both the countries are lowered in the same speed.

Parade of BSF

The ceremony lasts 30 min. approximately. Crowds gather at both sides, cheering slogans of national greatness and crying out 'long live India'. The gates are then closed, sealing the border for the evening.

Personally I was much disappointed to see this. It seems as if we have lost ourselves & our humanity in the mad race of religion & so called "patriotism". Patriotism is never developing hatred towards our neighbours. Those fierce reactions & stomping marches frightened me.

Indo-Pak Border Gate at Sunset

The Pakistanis were not much different, except for the dresses they wore. But then many of the muslims in india also wear that same dress. I think it is more of a muslim dressing sense, than a pakistani one. After the flag was lowered and the gates were closed, We could get nearer to the border and get a glimpse of the other side. Looking at the other end all I could think of was that it is not that different from this end. On our side of the border there was fields. So too are fields in the other end. The texture of the soil also doesnt look much different!