Located about 32 km from Amritsar, Wagah is a village in Pakistan located on the historic Grand Trunk Road that passes between Amritsar and Lahore. The Radcliffe Line or the boundary line dividing India and Pakistan was drawn here, on the Indian side of the village, during the partition of India. This border crossing draws its name from the village where it is located and hence is called Wagah Border. At the time of partition, migrants used this border crossing to travel to Pakistan from India.

Since 1959, both the countries have been conducting the lowering of the flags ceremony here as a daily ritual. In August 2017, India had erected a 110 meter flagpole in Attari, the Indian side of the Wagah Border. In reply, Pakistan came up with a 122 meter flagpole on their side. The flagpole on the Indian side is the highest one in the country while the one on Pakistan’s side is considered to be the tallest one in South Asia.

The Wagah-Attari Border Ceremony or the lowering of the flags ceremony takes place at the border gate between Pakistan and India. This military practice, observed every day since 1959, takes place two hours before the sunset. Conducted by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and the Pakistan Rangers, the ceremony attracts tourists from across the country, making the Wagah Border one of the top places to visit in Amritsar.

The ceremony is a 30-minutes drill, the purpose of which is to lower the national flags and formally close the border between the two nations till sunrise. It starts with an elaborate parade conducted by soldiers on both sides of the border. Then, the opening of the iron gates at the border and the lowering of the national flags on both sides take place in perfectly coordinated movements. After the flags are folded, soldiers from both the sides shake hands and the iron gates are closed, marking the end of the ceremony. The Wagah-Attari Border Ceremony is also known as Beating Retreat Ceremony, which is a symbol of cooperation and brotherhood between the two countries.