The winter this year was by far the coldest in many years, and what a way to start the 60th NDC course!! Everyone was bundled into layers of clothing and was reluctant to leave the warmth of their homes. This was only till Brigadier Panjrath and his cohorts sounded the bugle call for celebrating Lohri, the popular Punjabi folk festival that marks the passing of winter. Invitations were forwarded by jungle drums (called Whatsapp in India) for everyone to come and revel in the merriment in the evening.

The organisers were busy ordering eats, firewood, drinks and of course, the dhol, for how could you not ring in the spring without a drum?

Everyone gathered at Rakshabhavan and after the initial courtesies were over the bon fire was lit. Everyone performed the ritualistic dance and invocations of the fire with the ladies taking great pains to explain the relevance of the rituals to our friends from other countries. Breezers and ritualistic Lohri snacks were consumed in copious quantities and even a downpour could not dampen our spirits. We just moved inside the garage and continued where we had left off!

Dinner was a very appetising biriyani served hot along with tasty gulab jamuns and ice cream. People left the fire and dance only to partake of the sumptuous food and returned to dance with greater gusto, fully charged up. The merriment continued till the members were dying down and very reluctantly the revellers returned to their homes. What a way to break the ice, at the very beginning of the course!!

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment till it becomes a memory.” Dr. Suess has aptly summed up the value of gathering such precious moments which will become memories of a lifetime for us.

As service wives, we have always known and understood the concept of women-power. The bonding that happens collectively between us when we meet as “Just Ladies.” Be it coffee mornings, soirees or the Ladies Club. We love the connections we make when we’re just us and we love our exclusive girl-time luxury.

So, one cold yet bright Wednesday afternoon, ladies dressed in their resplendent sarees alighted the buses at the NDC. Their first peek into how and where the husbands spends their days. It was with awe that they looked around familiarising themselves with the lawns, the impressive foyer, the colonial and majestic building, etc.

The birds of a feather, we can’t say yet but surely the birds who were familiar flocked together for the first bit as the hesitation of treading into unknown waters was still rife. As they all walked in, they were greeted by a wonderfully warm and welcoming fraternity of the lady wives of the Directing Staff ably spearheaded by Mrs. Chaudhury.

Once the welcome drink service was over, the ladies found themselves being ushered into the hallowed hall which was a bit overwhelming with the theatre style seating and the mikes placed in front to speak. As the afternoon unfurled, and Mrs. Renu Ahlawat started to welcome the ladies, it was a reassuring and comfortable experience. The aura got further warmed up with the confident and easy going welcome by Mrs. Chaudhry which alleviated all apprehensions and set the mood for a fun afternoon.

The ladies of the staff welcomed themselves following which each of the ladies whose husbands were attending NDC 60 introduced themselves. They were rechristened Rakshikas@60. The entire year calendar was explained so well to enable the ladies to map out their busy days and free days to plan effectively.

Thereafter, the work of various committees was discussed and the volunteers and coordinators were announced. That set the ball rolling and the buzz began. Over a sumptuous spread of teatime treats and a steaming cuppa there was suddenly informal, incessant chatter which completely defines the bevy of beauties. The exchange of numbers, creation of whatsapp groups, planning the year ahead together and so on….. the course for the spouses had just begun and each one was filled with anticipation towards the fun which will unfurl on the road less travelled!

One could see the transformation within this couple of hours in the comfort level acquired and the anticipation of the fun which had just begun. I couldn’t help but marvel as the words of Roald Dahl rung so true in my ears- “There are no strangers in here, just friends you haven’t met.”

The roads near Raksha Bhawan had been riotous every morning resonating to the sounds of bands and marching contingents. All the residents had got used to martial music in the background with their early morning cuppa. This was all the practice for the Republic day celebrations that were soon to follow.

26 January 2020 dawned misty, yet filled with promise with no signs of rain/clouding. roads had begun forming in the road since the wee hours of the morning and we, the more fortunate, had to only get moving by 0630 hours. Once in the stands we headed towards our enclosure taking care to stay together, as a group as the crowds were rushing to get to the better, front seats. Despite the morning chill, there was a sizeable number of people to watch the spectacular event that was to follow.

The show started (for us) with the fly past of Mi-17 helicopters in immaculate formation showering petals on the audience perfectly timed with the unfurling of the national flag. This was followed up by the presentation of gallantry awards to all awardees who were roundly cheered by the crowd. Next followed the march past by the veterans and PVC awarders followed by the marching columns of the various regiments of the Army, Air force and Navy contingents and Paramilitary forces. Dare devils display on the bikes was thrilling. Tableaux of various states were displayed. The grand finale was the Flypast of the aircrafts. All went back to their homes fully satisfied.

Beating Retreat ceremony is organized on 29th Jan every year at Vijay Chowk with the stately Rashtrapati Bhavan in the background. Steeped in glorious martial tradition, it marks the culmination of the four day long Republic Day celebrations. Beating Retreat is a centuries old heritage drawing back to the time when troops would return to their camps at the end of the day's battle to the call of the pipes and drums.

It was a cold and blustery evening this year, but it could not dampen the spirits of people who had gathered to be a part of the celebration!

The ceremony began with the arrival of the President Shri Ram Nath Kovind escorted by the elite President's Body Guard, the only mounted cavalry regiment of the Indian Army. The PBG Commander ordered the National Salute to the tune of the National Anthem and the unfurling of the National Flag. The typical fauji swag and full on josh was palpable in the massed bands of the three Services with the soldiers resplendent in their uniforms. The Army, Navy, Air Force, State Police and Central Armed Police Forces bands performed over two dozen mesmerizing tunes, a mix of traditional songs and popular Bollywood numbers providing a distinct patriotic flavour. The foot tapping music and soulful classical renditions made everyone's heart swell with that familiar feeling of pride. In compound march and with deft movements, the men made beautiful patterns in the form of a ship, aeroplane and battle tank depicting the Navy, Air Force and Army respectively. A regular feature of this ceremony has always been the last tune played before the Retreat with soulful chimes - the famous poignant hymn written by Henry Francis Lyte, "Abide With Me", one of the favourites of Mahatma Gandhi .This was followed by the bugle call at sunset by the buglers and the National Flag was respectfully lowered with camel mounted sentries in stately vigil. The ceremony concluded with the Band Master marching to the President to request permission to take the bands away. As soon as the bands crested Raisina Hill to the timeless melody of Saare Jahaan Se Achcha, a beautiful and mesmerizing display of lights illuminated the Rashtrapati Bhavan giving rise to a spectacular ambience, soaking the Vijay Chowk and all present.

The aim of Prerna is to provide emotional support to cancer patients at R&R. Volunteers at Prerna give their time and an empathetic support to patients suffering from this dreaded disease called cancer. Today on 06th February, 13 volunteers of NDC - 60 went to Prerna for their orientation visit. A presentation was given to them by secretary Prerna Mrs Daisy Malhotra about the history, aim and functioning of Prerna. The Chairperson Prerna Mrs Asha Suchendra and Mrs Geeta Vig, NDC faculty coordinators were present for the occasion. After the presentation, the NDC volunteer team was taken for an orientation tour through the 6 wards of oncology including the paediatric ward. The dos and don'ts and code of conduct was shared with the volunteers and all the queries of the volunteers were addressed by Mrs Madhu Rawat, Mrs Manjari Kripekar and other ladies working for the cause. It was a very educative and inspirational visit.

An exhibition of exclusive hand block prints, Leheriya, Bandhej, Mothra were on display at the community hall Raksha Bhawan.
The star products were from mud resistant indigo block prints from village of Pipar and Ajrak from Bhuj.
Ladies were seen on the pathway eagerly waiting for it to start. We had friends from Raksha Bhawan, Vikram Vihar and Overseas !
Kudos to the ladies who turned out in large numbers braving the cold and traffic. Cheers to many more!!