The Rajarata Rifles was a former rifle regiment

Light infantry

Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...

 of the Sri Lanka Army. The regiment saw action in the 1971 JVP Insurrection and the Sri Lankan Civil War

Sri Lankan civil war

The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...

 before it was amalgamated with the 1st Battalion of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment

Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment

The king Vijayabahu was the one of the greatest rulers who ruled Sri Lanka from 1055 AD to 1110 AD. His heroic action is very popular among the Sri Lankans. Our Regiment is privilege to name as the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment to give the honour and respect to this great king...

 in 1983 to form the Gajaba Regiment

Gajaba Regiment

The Gajaba Regiment was formed when 1st Battalion the Rajarata Rifles and 1st Battalion the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment were amalgamated in 1983 to counter the threat from the LTTE. It is made up of six regular battalions and five volunteer battalions. Headquartered at Saliyapura Camp, Anuradhapura...

. Raised along with Ruhunu Regiment

Ruhunu Regiment

The Ruhunu Regiment was a former Military reserve force of the Ceylon Army. The regiment was raised in 1954 in Galle with a detachment in Matara. It was disbanded in 1956 when S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike became prime minister as he considered the unit to be loyal to the opposition. Its personnel made up...

, it was one of only three geographically based regiments in the Sri Lanka army. The cap badge of the Raja Rata Rifles show the figure of a Bherunda Pakshiya (Double-headed eagle

Double-headed eagle

The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. It is most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and...

).

Notable members

• Lieutenant Colonel
  Lieutenant colonel
  Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
  
   Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
  Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
  Lieutenant Colonel Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, RWP, RSP, psc, GR is a retired officer of the Sri Lanka Army and the current Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka. After serving through the early parts of the country's civil war with Tamil Tiger rebels, he retired from the Army in 1992...
  
  , RWP, RSP
  RSP
  -Music:* RSP , a Japanese hip-hop and R&B group* Rubber Soul Project, a Serbian rock music band-Computers and technology:* Remote Serial Port, an extension to the Telnet protocol* Reality signal processor, a component of the Nintendo 64...
  
  , GR – Permanent Secretary
  Permanent Secretary
  The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
  
   to the Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order
  Ministry of Defence (Sri Lanka)
  The Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order is the Sri Lankan government ministry responsible for implementation of government defence policy and the headquarters of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces....