Wagah Border Lahore

Wagah Border Lahore

A border dispute has become a daily party

Every late afternoon, just before sunset, the Indian and Pakistani military meet at the border to engage in an extraordinary 20-minute ceremony of pure theatre. The border-closing ceremony elicits machismo and posturing from the proud young soldiers on both sides, but also, despite the two countries’ uneasy relationship, a stunning display of harmony. It starts around 5.30pm in summer and 4.30pm in winter. It’s worth getting there early – though avoid the stampede when the crowd charges along the chicken run leading to the grandstands. Foreigners are allowed to sit at the front in the VIP area anyways – or, better, grab a seat at the roadside near the gate, right in front of the high-kicking action.
At this point the young soldiers are milling about with their air of self-conscious debutantes and the real action is in the people who run at the border gates carrying a huge Indian flag. A compere stokes the crowd’s patriotic fervor, as they cry “Hindustan Zindabad” (long-live India). The Pakistanis are equally vociferous, except during Ramadan, when the stands are noticeably quieter, and are segregated by sex.

 Wagah Border Lahore

 Wagah Border Lahore

 Wagah Border Lahore

 Wagah Border Lahore

India and Pakistan share a single border that cuts straight through the town of Wagah: the eastern half sits in India, and the other half in Pakistan. Border conflicts killed countless people in both countries back in 1947 – and decades later, skirmishes still kill thousands.
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. 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.