The Queen and other members of the Royal family joined hundreds of Gurkhas marking the regiment's 200 years of service to the British crown.
The evening that was one of the highlights of a year of celebrations marking this anniversary, was organised by the Gurkha Welfare Trust, had around 1400 guests, and was held at London's Royal Hospital in Chelsea.
The evening featured battle re-enactments and musical performances by the Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas. The victims of the recent Nepal earthquake were also remembered in a minute's silence. On 25 April, in a terrible earthquake more than 8000 people lost their lives in Nepal. A second tremor was felt on 12 May.
This event was attended by many dignitaries, including the Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince Harry, the Sultan of Brunei and actress Joanna Lumley. While Prince Charles is known to be Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, Prince Harry believed to have befriended the Gurkhas in Afghanistan. Captain Dillikumar Rai, of the Royal Gurkha Rifles, had the prestigious role of carrying the Queen's Truncheon at the pageant.
Harry was reunited with Sgt Dipprasad Pun on this occasion, who he served with in Garmsir, Afghanistan in 2007. The Mail reported that he congratulated Sgt Pun, 35, after he was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for single-handedly defeating up to 30 Taliban fighters who attempted to storm his control post in Helmand in 2010.
Sgt Pun said: 'This is a great way to show the younger generation what the Gurkhas have done.'
Prince Charles, as patron of the Gurkha Welfare Trust, reportedly said it was right 'to recognise and celebrate these remarkable men and their extraordinary service to our country.'
He said, “'The Brigade of Gurkhas is more than just a fighting force, it is also - in every sense of the word - a family.
“As with every family, they have lifetime responsibilities to one another and especially in times of great need. This has been painfully illustrated by the appalling earthquakes which have recently struck Nepal, with devastating consequences across the traditional Gurkha heartlands.
“As part of the wider Gurkha community, we share in these responsibilities and I am constantly humbled by your ongoing support.'
The name Gurkha comes from the hilly town of Gorkha, in Nepal, from where their kingdon expanded. More than 200,000 Gurkha soldiers went on to serve in the British Army in the two world wars – with 43,000 losing their lives.
The Royal Gurkha Rifles currently have a jungle role Battalion permanently based in Brunei and a Light Role Battalion in the UK. All Officers are expected to speak Nepali, besides fluent English.
Over the past 50 years they have served in Malaysia and Borneo – from 1948 to 1967 – Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and Hong Kong and more recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have received 13 Victoria Crosses between them during their years of service. But their numbers have come down from a peak of 112,000 men during the Second World War to about 3,500. Around 28,000 enter into the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year.
Gurkha soldiers come from tight knit communities where mutual respect and trust are instilled from an early age. The majority of Gurkhas are either Hindu or Buddhist, and the Regiment observes the appropriate religious festivals. The most notable in the annual calendar is Dasain, which is a major event with long established and colourful rituals and traditions. One of the strengths of a Gurkha battalion on operations today, and particularly in Afghanistan, is the ability of the soldiers to understand cultural nuances, and to empathise with people in conflict zones. Unforgiving in battle, the soldiers are equally generous and warm hearted to those who are affected by conflict.
Their national weapon is kukri- a knife carried by Gurkhas, used as work tool, used for all means of every day business in hill communities. Every Gurkha has at least two kukris; one for ceremonial purposes, and one for every day use. Maintenance of the kukri is a key part of daily routine, and it is kept sharp and clean at all times.
