A contingent of Nepal Army personnel has set out on a march on a route used by former king Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of modern Nepal, in the course of the expansion of the then Gorkha state.

According to the Nepal Army, a group of soldiers clad in traditional Nepali dress, carrying khukuri, guns and a torch kicked off their journey to Kathmandu from Gorkha on Thursday.

The army personnel will follow the ‘unification trail’ en route to Kathmandu. The journey will conclude after reaching Kathmandu on Prithvi Jayanti which falls on January 11 after passing through Dhading and Nuwakot districts. The day is also celebrated as National Unity Day.

Shah was the king of Gorkha when he began the national unification campaign in 1745. After conquering Nuwakot, he annexed many other small principalities to his kingdom.

Shah was born in Gorkha district and is credited for unifying various small principalities to build modern Nepal.

Here are some pictures of the march provided by the Nepal Army: