New Delhi: The Change of Guard ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan will now take place from 9 AM - 9.40 AM on every Saturdays.
"The new timing for the `Ceremonial Changing of Guard` at Rashtrapati Bhavan will be 0900 hrs to 0940 hrs from August 15, 2012, to November 14, 2012," a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.
The ceremony was earlier scheduled between 8 AM-8.40 AM between March 15 to August 14.
During the `Ceremonial Changing of the Guard`, troopers of the President`s Body Guard and infantry soldiers of the Army change guard with clock-work precision. It takes place at North and South Block Square and inside Gate No 1 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The `Change of Guard` is a military ritual steeped in tradition. The President`s Body Guard, as is known today was raised in 1773 at Benares by the then Governor General, Warren Hastings.
It was first christened as `The Guard of Moguls` in 1773 and came to be known as `The President`s Body Guard` when India became a Republic on January 26, 1950.
PTI