A cultural parade was organised on Friday in Dehradun as a part of the ongoing celebrations to mark two-century-long history of the Gorkha community in India. A large number of members participated in the parade dressed up in their ethnic attire.
On the second day of the celebrations, the participants took out a procession from the Clock Tower, located at the center of the city, wearing their traditional attire. The men were seen sporting the Dhaka topi while the women were seen decked up in ‘pote’ or the famed glass bead jewellery native to the community and donned bright-coloured sarees.
The participants also performed various dance forms native to the Gorkha community, marking the second day of the four-day-long festivities. Madhu Gurung, one of the organisers of the celebrations, said members of the community took part in the parade with much enthusiasm and offered a rich glimpse of the Gorkha traditions to the Dehradun residents.
As per the 2011 census, the Gorkha community’s population in Uttarakhand stood over 10 lakh. As per the latest estimates, the Gorkhas constitute about 12 lakh, making up about 12% of the hill state’s population.
In 1814, the Gorkhas had bravely fought the Battle of Khalanga with the British army in the eastern stretch of Dehradun, where the community’s indomitable valor left the latter impressed.
{{/usCountry}}In 1814, the Gorkhas had bravely fought the Battle of Khalanga with the British army in the eastern stretch of Dehradun, where the community’s indomitable valor left the latter impressed.
{{/usCountry}}The British later openly admitted to the Gorkha bravery and erected a war memorial in the honour of the Gorkhas, the only war memorial erected by the British in the memory of the vanquished side.