Silver Jubilee and Reunion of 4/9 Gorkha Rifles

 

The 9 Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha regiment of the Indian Army comprising Gurkha soldiers of Nepalese origin. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independence as part of the tripartite agreement in 1947. This Gorkha regiment mainly recruits soldiers who come from the Chhetri (Kshatriya) and Thakuri clans of Nepal. Domiciled Indian Gorkhas are also taken, and they form about 20 percent of the regiment's total strength. The 9 Gorkha Rifles is one of the seven Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army. The other regiments are 1 GR, 3 GR,4 GR,5 GR, 8 GR and 11 GR. The history of the 9 Gorkha Rifles dates back to 1817, when it was raised as the "Fatehgarh Levy". The 3/9 GR and 4/9 GR formed part of the Chindit operations in Burma, and earned a reputation in the long range penetration operations.

The Battalion was re-raised at Ghandore in Dehra Dun on 9.9.1961. This special cover and postmark were issued to commemorate the Silver Jubillee and Reunion of the 4/9 Gorkha Rifles (Chindits) on 12.12.1987.