Gajaba Regiment

The Gajaba Regiment (GR) is an elite infantry regiment of the Sri Lankan Army. Formed on 14 October 1983 at the Saliyapura Camp in Anuradhapura, it is named after the famous Sinhalese King Gajabahu the First. It consists of 14 regular battalions and 6 volunteer battalions.

Gajaba Regiment
Cap badge of the Gajaba Regiment
Active	14 October 1983 – Present
Country	Sri Lanka
Branch	Sri Lanka Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Infantry warfare
Size	20 battalions
Regimental Centre	Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura.
Nickname(s)	Keterians (Battle Axes)
Motto(s)	‘Samagiya Shakthiyai' (Unity is Strength)
Colors	Light green
Anniversaries	14 October (Regimental day)
Engagements	Sri Lankan Civil War 1987–1989 JVP insurrection United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
Decorations	4 Parama Weera Vibhushanaya 64 Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya 783 Rana Wickrama Padakkama 3896 Rana Sura Padakkama
Commanders
Centre Commandant	Brigadier UKDDP Udugama
Colonel of the Regiment	General Shavendra Silva
Notable commanders	Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne
Insignia
Identification symbol	"GAJABA" shoulder tab

History

The 1st battalion, Gajaba Regiment was formed on 14 October 1983 with the amalgamation of officers and men of the 1st Rajarata Rifles and the 1st Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Vijaya Wimalaratne at Saliyapura Camp with a strength of 36 officers and 752 other ranks. The 2/3 (Volunteer) Rajarata Rifles was reconstituted as the 2nd (Volunteer) battalion, Gajaba Battalion at Fort Fredrick in Trincomalee on the 14 October 1983 under the command of the Lieutenant Colonel W.R. Wijerathna. The Cap badge of the Gajaba Regiment was designed with a shield, two Keteri (battle axes) and a Kandian powder flask. The newly formed regular infantry battalion was deployed for internal security duties in the Jaffna peninsula from 1983 to 1984 and again in 1985, where it sustained casualties in counter-insurgency operations. With the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War and Sri Lanka Army expanded and to cope with the demand of operational needs, a multi-battalion structure was introduced. A second regular infantry battalion was formed as the 3rd battalion in January 1986. Both regular battalions took part in the Vadamarachchi Operation in May 1987. With the start of the 1987–1989 JVP insurrection, both regular and volunteer units of the regiment were deployed in the southern part of the island for counter-insurgency operations. The regiment took part in all major offensives of the civil war and was involved in many major battles were the Gajaba units involved suffered over 80% casualty rates such as the 3rd battalion (149 killed and 115 missing) in the Battle of Pooneryn and the 8th battalion in the Second Battle of Elephant Pass. By the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, the regiment had 27 battalions and 3,500 of its officers and men had been killed in action.^[1]

The regiment was awarded President's colours by President Mahinda Rajapakse on 11 January 2007. In 2008 a detachment from the regiment was sent to take part in the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.^[2]

Sports

Gajaba Supercross

Since 1999, the Gajaba Regiment organizes the annual Gajaba Supercross in association with the Sri Lanka Association of Racing Drivers and Riders.

Gajaba Cricket

In 2021 the regiment built the Gotabaya Rajapaksa Cricket Stadium commissioned Thisara Perera as an officer.

Units

No	Unit	Formed	Formed at	Disbanded	First commanding officer	Notes
1	1st Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	14 October 1983	Saliyapura Camp		Lieutenant Colonel Vijaya Wimalaratne	This Battalion was established amalgamating the 1st Rajarata Rifle battalion and 1st Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment
2	2nd (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	14 October 1983	Fort Fredrieck, Trincomalee		Lieutenant Colonel W.R. Wijerathna	Disbanded 2nd Rajarata Rifles was re-activated and re-designated as 2nd (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment.
3	3rd Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	12 January 1986			Major S.T.T. Jayasundara
4	4th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	17 August 1987	Siddapura, Punani in Batticaloa District		Lieutenant Colonel N. Rathnayake	Later converted to 3rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment. From 23 November 2022, 24th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment Re-designationed as 4th Battalion the Gajaba Regiment
5	5th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	3 March 1989	Colombo		Lieutenant Colonel P.C. Premachandra
6	6th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	17 May 1990	Saliyapura, Anuradhapura		Lieutenant Colonel T.W. Jayawardana
7	7th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	14 December1990	Pankulam, Moravewa, Trincomalee District		Lieutenant Colonel A.D.J.P. Suraweera
8	8th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	17 December 1992	Saliyapura Camp		Major T.B. Moseth	Later merged with 1st Gajaba Regiment on 4 June 2000 and later on the 20th June 2001, the 8th Battalion Gajaba Regiment, was re- established at Saliyapura camp under Major H.R.N. Fernando.
9	9th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	8 March 1993			Lieutenant Colonel A.D. Subasinghe	Later merged with 4th Gajaba Regiment on 1 June 2000 and later on the 4th February 2004, the 9th Battalion Gajaba Regiment, was re- established at Saliyapura camp under Lieutenant Colonel G.S.B. Thenne.
10	10th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	7 January 1994	Saliyapura		Major N.A.J.C. Dias
11	11th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	21 April 1994	Horowupothana		Lieutenant Colonel H.H.L. DE Silva
12	12th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	8 October 2007			Lieutenant Colonel N.D.S.P. Niwnhella
13	14th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	27 December 1997			Major N.A. Dharmarathna
14	15th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	23 January 1997	Meegalewa Bongama		Major B. Ediriweera
15	16th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	22 October 2008	Illuppukadaweli Government School		Major K.P.S.A. Fenando
16	17th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	1 December 2007	Horowpathana		Major V.S. Kumarawansa
17	18th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	30 March 2008		04 September 2018
18	19th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	25 September 2008		25 August 2018
19	20th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	5 December 2008			Major R.M.A.B. Rathnayaka
20	21st (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	25 March 2009		07 April 2012
21	22nd Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	3 July 2009	Saliyapura Anuradhapura		Lieutenant Colonel D.R.N. Hettiarachchi
22	23rd Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	18 August 2009	Gajaba Regiment Center	20 July 2023	Lieutenant Colonel K.P.S.A. Fernando
23	24th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	18 October 2009	Saliyapura Anuradhapura		Major D.U.N. Serasingha	From 23 November 2022 Re-designationed as 4th battalion the Gajaba Regiment
24	25th (V) Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	10 November 2009		29 February 2012
25	26th Battalion, Sri Lanka Gajaba Regiment	1 November 2009	Kalmadukulam	??	Lieutenant Colonel W M S N Eragoda
26	HQ Battalion of Gajaba Regiment	27 May 1993			Major D.J.I. Peramunu Gamage

Recipient of the Parama Weera Vibhushanaya

• Lieutenant K. W. T. Nissanka  †
• Warrant Officer II H.B. Pasan Gunasekera  †
• Captain P. N. Punsiri  †
• Major W.M.I.S.B. Walisundara  †

Commanders

• General Shavendra Silva, WWV, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc - 23^rd Commander of the Sri Lanka Army
• General Vikum Liyanage, RWP, RSP, USP, - 24^th Commander of the Sri Lanka Army

Chiefs of Staff

• Major General U.B.L. Fernando - 39^th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General W.H.K.S Peiris - 63^rd Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General Chandana Wickramasinghe - 66^th Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army

Deputy Chiefs of Staff

• Major General S. T. T. (Sathis) Jayasundera - 8^th Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General K.A.S. Perera - 25^th Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General Nirmal Dharmaratne - 32^nd Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General Rasika Fernando - 33^rd Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General C.D Ranasinghe - 41^st Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army
• Major General Chandana Wickramasinghe - 45^st Deputy Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army

Notable members

• Major General Vijaya Wimalaratne, RWP, RSP, VSP, USP † - Founder of the Gajaba Regiment.Commander Security Forces Headquarters Jaffna (SF HQ (J)).
• Lieutenant Colonel Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP - 8^th President of Sri Lanka
• General Kamal Gunaratne, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc, psc - Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defense and GOC 53rd division in Eelam war IV
• Major General Sumedha Perera, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc - Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Mahaweli, Agriculture, Irrigation & Rural Development
• Major General Jagath Dias, WWV, RWP, RSP, USP, ndc - Adjutant General of Sri Lanka Army and GOC 57th division in Eelam war IV
• Major General Seevali Wanigasekara RWP, RSP VSV, USP, psc
• Major Shantha Wijesinghe  † - commanded the defense of Kokkilai and gained the first Battlefield promotion in the army^[3]
• Warrant Officer I Dinesh Priyantha - Sri Lankan paralympic track and field athlete
• Sergeant Maheesh Theekshana - Sri Lanka National Cricketer
• Corporal Ranjith Premasiri Madalana  † - Sri Lankan army sniper

Order of precedence

Preceded by Gemunu Watch

Order of Precedence

Succeeded by Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment

See also

• Sri Lanka Army