The First Battalion of the 9 Gorkha Rifles which was raised by the British in 1817 as the ‘Fatehgarh Levy’ celebrated 200 years of its raising on March 16, 2017, at Secunderabad. The 9 Gorkha Rifles has a unique honour that all its battalions have been awarded the Chief of the Army Staff’s citation for exceptional performance in the line of duty. The Regiment has been awarded three Victoria Crosses, five Mahavir Chakras and 17 Vir Chakras in the two centuries of its existence. Some of the Regiment’s battle honours are Afghanistan, France and Flanders, Mesopotamia, North Africa, Chindits, Burma, Phillora, Kumarkhalli, Dera Baba Nanak and Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Nepal share a unique bond through 32,000 Nepali citizens who serve in the Indian Army and approximately 90,000 veterans drawing their pensions in Nepal. The celebrations culminated with a special dinner which was attended by serving and retired soldiers, including former Governor of Punjab, General B.K.N. Chibber. More than 500 veterans from remote areas in Nepal graced the occasion with their families to reaffirm their regimental bonds.