The Garhwal Rifles
The Garhwal Rifles is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It was originally raised in 1887 as the 39th (Garhwal) Regiment of the Bengal Army. It then became part of the British Indian Army, and after the Independence of India, it was incorporated into the Indian Army. Garhwal Rifles as a Regiment came into being on 05 May 1887 at the instance of Field Marshal Sir FS Roberts, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSE, the then C-in-C of India. Lt Col EP Mainwaring raised the First battalion at Almora on 05 May 1887 and move it to Kaludanda (later renamed as Lansdowne after the then Viceroy of India) on 04 Nov 1887. The Regimental Centre was established at Lansdowne on 01 Oct 1921.
Motto: Yudhaya Krit Nishchaya (Fight With Determination)
War Cry: Badri Vishal Lal Ki Jai (Victory to the Sons of Lord Badri Nath)
Regimental Insignia: A Maltese Cross with Ashoka Emblem.
Regimental Centre: Uttarakhand
It served during the frontier campaigns of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, as well in both the World Wars and the wars fought after Independence. It is mainly made up of Rajput and brahmin Garhwali soldiers. Today it is made up of more than 25,000 soldiers, organized into twenty-one regular battalions i.e. 2nd to 22nd, the Garhwal Scouts who are stationed permanently at Joshimath and two battalions of the Territorial Army including 121 Inf Bn TA and 127 Inf Bn TA and 14 RR, 36 RR, 48 RR Battalion are also part of the Regiment. The 1st Battalion has since been converted to mechanized infantry and forms part of the Mechanised Infantry Regiment as its 6th battalion.
Lansdowne is the most notable, albeit small, hill station in the north Indian state of Uttaranchal. It is situated 45 km from Kotdwar en route Kotdwar-Pauri road in the Pauri Garhwal district. The famous Garhwal Rifles of the Indian Army has its command office here. They have maintained the old-world charm of the 19th century and the place is still an ideal getaway. It was founded by Lord Lansdowne in 1887 AD thus being named after him.
Prior to 1887, there was no separate battalion of the Garhwali soldiers. They used to be recruited in the Gorkha battalion, Bengal Infantry, and Punjab Frontier. Impressed by their honesty, courage, and dedication, the British government decided to form a separate battalion for Garhwali soldiers. The Garhwal Rifles was raised in 1887 to give the Garhwali Hillmen their own regiment. This was propagated by Field Marshal Sir FS Roberts VC, who realized that many Garhwalis had served in Gurkha regiments, and a large proportion of the early awards to Gurkha regiments were actually won by Garhwalis.
On May 5, 1887, the first battalion was constituted under the command of Lt Col EP Mainwaring at Almora. On November 4, the same year, this battalion reached Kalundanda in Garhwal. In 1890, Kalundanda was renamed as Lansdowne after the then Viceroy of India. In the First World War, the Garhwal Rifles had one of the finest fighting records of any regiment in the Indian army. During the first World War, Nk Darban Singh and Rfn Gabbar Singh were awarded Victoria Cross. As a result of their outstanding bravery in France and Flanders, the Garhwal Rifles was the only Indian Infantry regiment given the title of Royal. During the Kotkai war in 1920, Lt WD Kenny of the Garhwal Regiment won the third Victoria Cross.
Lansdowne, at a height of 5800 ft above sea level, is the recruitment center of the Garhwal Battalion. On October 1, 1921, the regimental center celebrated its first founder’s day. Now October 1 is celebrated as the raising day of the battalion. After Independence, the name of the center was changed to Garhwal Rifles Regimental Centre. The rigorous drills during the training help to infuse a sense of discipline in every recruit. Special emphasis is laid on physical fitness, mental toughness, and weapon handling. After successful completion of 34-week training, a Garhwali youth is turned into a soldier. The soldier is then trained for two more weeks in counter-insurgency operations.
The regimental center is considered the hub of training for the regiment. About 2500 recruits are trained here as soldiers every year. Earlier, the recruitments were held only at Lansdowne but now the recruitments take place at other places in the region as well. The center has trained more than 60 thousand soldiers since Independence. At present, over 25 thousand soldiers are serving in different battalions of the Garhwal Rifles.
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