Far from home: Queen Elizabeth Barracks, Church Crookham, UK
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The relationship with a Section Commander, or Guruji, is one of the most important aspects of Gurkha training. It suggests an intimate mentor-like relationship with an emphasis on learning, companionship and obligation. It is known as kaida, the proper way of doing things, taught with knowledge that is handed down. This is at the heart of the Gurkha tradition of maintaining a tightly knit extended family.
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Farnham Shopping Centre. Even a day out is treated as a military exercise. Exercise Pahilo Kadam, translates as 'first walk' and is an opportunity for recruits to observe British life for the first time.
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The Brigade of Gurkha's official religion is Hinduism and all major festival days are observed as part of the military calendar. In Nepal during Dashain festival, the senior member of the family will give Tika (a blessing using a mixture of barley, vermilion powder, rice and milk curd) to all the family. Here a Gurkha Captain gives Tika blessing to each of the 230 recruits under his responsibility who are far from home
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An outdoor lecture on rifle use during the first three-day exercise of training in local countryside.
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A day trip to Brighton is part of the training to acclimatise recruits to British life and customs. For many of them, seeing the sea for the first time is an added bonus. The slightly bemused local lads were unaware that this was a group of soldiers in training.
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The Passing Out Party at the end of training The soldiers are dancing alongside their Guruji. They are now ranked as Riflemen and will shortly leave to join their Regiments, serving in places such as Kosovo, East Timor and Sierra Leone.
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