Shivaratri is not very far now and today, March 3rd, the rehearsals for the Shivaratri Parade organized by the Nepal Army took place at Tudikhel, Sainik Manch.
It was a colorful affair with the Army presenting their skills and showcasing their talents and strengths. It was well organized and the audience consisted mainly of the participants’ family members and friends. Civilians were allowed to witness the rehearsals by obtaining entry passes.
The rehearsals started at 10:00 AM and ended at around 12:00 noon. The show opened with the Army band performance. Throughout the rehearsals, the band kept playing popular Nepali patriotic songs like “Yo Nepali Sir Uchaali” and “Rato Ra Chandra Surya”. It was followed by different battalions marching and taking their positions around the field. The sound from the speakers was a bit muffled so the announcements weren’t very clear to the audience. However, the show itself was good.
The parade ground was clean and was decorated with our National Flag and colorful streamers. The audience was enthusiastic and people were there to support their near and dear ones. Among various other performances, there was a performance by very well trained dogs and they amused the audience with their daring tricks such as jumping through rings of fire and they were also trained to “salute”. In additions to this, there were performances by school children who formed a pyramid and also did gymnastics. There were people dressed in the various traditional costumes of Nepal marching and dancing around the track. A small demo by the Army men showed how they conduct search and rescue operations, which was entertaining as well as informative. They demonstrated how the rescue team on a helicopter, airlifted a person from a building on fire.
All in all, it was a memorable day and it ended with a good performance by the band. The festivities ended with the National Anthem.
