London, August 18, 2024 – A Gurkha Memorial was unveiled on the Thames Riverbank in London last Sunday.
Thurrock Council Mayor Kairen Rapper and Gurkha Major Dilli Kumar Rai jointly inaugurated the newly constructed memorial. Mayor Rapper expressed her delight at the first Gurkha memorial in Essex, highlighting its significance for the local community.
Prem Gaha Magar, UK President of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Gurkha Major Rai, and others addressed the gathering. The unveiling ceremony was notably unique, featuring a multi-religious service. Buddhist, Hindu, and Christian priests, along with Rai and Limbu priests of the Kirat religion, performed rituals in their respective traditions.
This is likely the first monument in the UK to feature a Gurkha head on a crossed Khukuri. The crossed Khukuri is a symbol of the famous Gurkha soldiers in the British Army. The British Gurkhas have been serving the British since 1814, a period spanning 209 years. After joining the Gurkhas, the British Empire expanded to gain more than 33 colonies more, and Gurkhas participated in various wars, including the First and Second World Wars. Nearly half a million Gurkha soldiers have died in various wars for the British King and country. It is a unique history; Gurkhas are recruited from Nepal, and there are currently over four thousand active Gurkha soldiers in the British Army.
According to the construction committee, the memorial, made of Panchdhatu, cost £45,000 (approximately NRs 7.85 million). This monument is dedicated to honoring and remembering those who sacrificed their lives for loyalty and dignity.
The memorial has been erected on the grounds of the Purfleet Heritage Military Museum on the Thames Riverbank near the famous Dartford Crossing.
The monument was built through the joint efforts of the Thurrock Nepalese Gurkha community, initiated and spearheaded by Mr. Kishor Limbu and Mr. Man Bahadur Rai.
