GULMI:- Bharse is known as a village of Lahures (soldiers retired from British and Indian armies). More than 700 ex-servicemen live in this particular village.
To preserve the history of these Lahures, the Bharse Gorkha Gallery has been established. Recently, a statue of Karn Bahadur Rana, the youngest Victoria Cross winner in the world from Gulmi has been installed.
Rana was awarded the Victoria Cross by the British government for his bravery, sacrifice, and devotion to duty during the battle against the German Army in the First World War.
Bharse has built the Ex-Gorkha Gallery and the Bharse Gallery to keep the history of former soldiers alive and serve as a centre for study. The statue of Rana stands in front of the Bharse Gallery. A resident of Phoksing in Kaligandaki Rural Municipality-7, Rana was born in 1898 and died in 1973 at the age of 75. He received the Victoria Cross from King George V of Britain in 1919, at the age of 21.
Former Major Pitambar Thapa said Karn Bahadur Rana is an international symbol of Gorkha bravery. He said the installation of the statue is a tribute to both living and deceased Lahures. Thapa also expressed gratitude to Lieutenant Kul Bahadur Budhathoki, who conceived the idea of building the statue and galleries to preserve history.
Rana’s eldest son still lives in the village, while his other children have moved to the Tarai.
Under the leadership of the Bharse Ex-Servicemen’s Association, around Rs. 1.6 million was spent to construct the statue. It was sculpted by Gulmi-based artist Yam Bahadur Thapa. Treasurer of the association, Nar Bahadur Budhathoki, said that the statue was built through personal contributions, as there had been no recognition or support from the government although Rana was the youngest recipient of Britain’s highest military honours.
Bharse that lies in Satyawati Rural Municipality-8, is rich not only in natural beauty, culture and tourism potential, but is also an important historical study centre. Photographs and histories of soldiers from Bharse who fought the First and Second World Wars have been displayed in the Ex-Gorkha Gallery. The Bharse Gallery showcases photographs and histories of Gurkha soldiers, Indian and Nepali Lahures and those who served in the Nepal Police and civil service as well social leaders from the village.
Out of 684 individuals, photographs of around 400 have been displayed, including Nepal Police DIG Niraj Pun and Nepal Army Major General Nar Bahadur Budhathoki.
According to available records, 84 persons from Bharse fought the First World War and 178 the Second World War. The Ex-Army Gorkha Gallery currently displays photographs and brief details of 34 deceased soldiers who fought the two world wars.
These include Rana, Shriprasad Budhathoki, the first Nepali to become a colonel in the Indian Army, and his father Giriprasad Budhathoki.
Lieutenant Kul Bahadur Budhathoki, who was born in Bharse and now lives in Hong Kong, led the establishment of the Bharse Ex-Gorkha and Bharse galleries. He has personally invested around Rs. 5.7 million in the project.