Written by Divya ANew Delhi | October 1, 2025 04:35 AM IST 3 min readDiamond Jubilee celebrations of the President’s Bodyguard, at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Tuesday (Express/Divya A)It was a field day for Raftaar, Titan, Hunter, Ganga, Vikramaditya and their peers at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Tuesday evening, as the chargers from the President’s Bodyguard (PBG) came out in full glory for the regiment’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.Starting a little before sunset, the 90-minute ceremony had the tall men from the Indian Army’s senior-most regiment and their horses displaying their valour, sportsmanship and coordination skills, with a practised precision. For the 200-odd invitees to the event, it was a rare sight to see the horses perform show jumping in low light, skillfully maneuvered by the men who rode them.It helped that most of the chargers were champions from the equestrian sports, winning over a hundred medals in various competitions for the regiment. While the PBG men have to be at least 6-2’’ tall, they also ride the tallest horses in the Army — ones that are at least 5 feet tall.President Droupadi Murmu presented the Diamond Jubilee Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s Bodyguard in recognition of 75 years of their service since the designation as the PBG in 1950.Before the trumpet and the banner were presented to Colonel Amit Berwal, the regiment’s commandant who came riding Shatrujit, a short “consecration ceremony” was held at the hands of two of PBG men — Balwinder Singh and Rajkumar Tripathi — reciting multi-faith prayers.Considered the personal troops of the President, the PBG take precedence in protocol over all other regiments and corps of the Army. The elite PBG has served all 15 Presidents so far since Independence. The regiment traces its history to over 250 years to Benaras when Raja Chet Singh sent 50 horses and 50 troops to then Governor Warren Hastings. In 1950, after India became a Republic, the regiment was given its current name.First President of India Rajendra Prasad presented the Silver Trumpet and Trumpet Banner to the President’s Bodyguard on May 14, 1957. In her brief remarks on the ceremony, the President congratulated the PBG for their professional excellence and adherence to the finest military traditions. She expressed confidence that all bodyguards must be knowing that this honour carries with it a significant responsibility. The new trumpet banner has six adjectives to describe the elite force, selected by the President herself, such as ‘ajay’, ‘amar’, ‘balidaan’, ‘ashwa-yodha’, and ‘balwaan’.As the ceremony drew to a close, Viraat, the Commandant’s Charger, who had retired from service in 2022, was brought in and fed by the President herself. In fact, the PBG has adopted Viraat after his retirement, as a symbol of the bond between the personnel of PBG and their horses.Divya A reports on travel, tourism, culture and social issues - not necessarily in that order - for The Indian Express. She's been a journalist for over a decade now, working with Khaleej Times and The Times of India, before settling down at Express. Besides writing/ editing news reports, she indulges her pen to write short stories. As Sanskriti Prabha Dutt Fellow for Excellence in Journalism, she is researching on the lives of the children of sex workers in India. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Droupadi Murmu