Nanda Devi is the second-highest mountain in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, after
Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga, also spelled Kanchenjunga, Kanchanjanghā (), and Khangchendzonga, is the third highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the ...
, and the highest located entirely within the country (Kangchenjunga is on the border of India and
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
). It is the
23rd-highest peak in the world.
Nanda Devi was considered
the highest mountain in the world before computations in 1808 proved
Dhaulagiri
Dhaulagiri is the seventh highest mountain in the world at above sea level, and the highest mountain within the borders of a single country (Nepal). It was first climbed on 13 May 1960 by a Swiss-Austrian-Nepali expedition.
Annapurna I () is ...
to be higher. It was also the highest mountain in India until 1975, when
Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Silig ...
, an independent kingdom until 1948 and a protectorate of India thereafter, became a part of the
Republic of India. It is located in
Chamoli Garhwal district of
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...
, between the
Rishiganga
Rishiganga is a river in the Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India. It springs from the Uttari Nanda Devi Glacier on the Nanda Devi mountain. It is also fed from the Dakshini Nanda Devi Glacier. Continuing through the Nanda Devi National Park, ...
valley on the west and the
Goriganga valley on the east.
The peak, whose name means "Bliss-Giving Goddess",
is regarded as the patron goddess of the
Garhwal and
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
Himalayas. In acknowledgment of its religious significance and for the protection of its fragile ecosystem, the Government of India declared the peak as well as the circle of high mountains surrounding it—the Nanda Devi sanctuary—off-limits to both locals and climbers in 1983. The surrounding
Nanda Devi National Park
The Nanda Devi National Park or Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, established in 1982 is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in Chamoli Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, in northern India. The entire park lies at an ele ...
was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
in 1988.
Description and notable features
Nanda Devi is a
two-peaked
A double summit, double peak, twin summit, or twin peak refers to a mountain or hill that has two summits, separated by a col or saddle.
One well-known double summit is Austria’s highest mountain, the Großglockner, where the main summit of t ...
massif
In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...
, forming a high ridge, oriented east–west. The western summit is higher, and the eastern summit, called
Nanda Devi East
Nanda Devi East ( deva, नंदा देवी पूर्व), locally known as Sunanda Devi, is the lower of the two adjacent peaks of the highest mountain in Uttarakhand and second highest mountain in India; Nanda Devi is its higher twin ...
, (locally known as ''Sunanda Devi'') is the lower one. The main summit stands guarded by a barrier ring comprising some of the highest mountains in the Indian Himalayas, twelve of which exceed in height, further elevating its sacred status as the daughter of the Himalaya in Indian folklore. The interior of this almost insurmountable ring is known as the Nanda Devi Sanctuary, and is protected as the
Nanda Devi National Park
The Nanda Devi National Park or Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, established in 1982 is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in Chamoli Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, in northern India. The entire park lies at an ele ...
. Nanda Devi East lies on the eastern edge of the ring (and of the Park), at the border of
Chamoli
Chamoli district is a district of the Uttarakhand state of India. It is bounded by the Tibet region to the north, and by the Uttarakhand districts of Pithoragarh and Bageshwar to the east, Almora to the south, Pauri Garhwal to the southwest, ...
,
Pithoragarh
Pithoragarh ( Kumaoni: ''Pithor'garh'') is a Himalayan city with a Municipal Board in Pithoragarh district in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the fourth largest city of Kumaon and the largest in Kumaon hills. It is an education hub of t ...
and
Bageshwar
Bageshwar ( Kumaoni: ''Bāgshyār'') is a town and a municipal board in Bageshwar district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is located at a distance of 470 km from the National Capital New Delhi and 332 km from the State Capital ...
districts.
Together the peaks may be referred to as the peaks of the goddesses Nanda and Sunanda. These goddesses have occurred together in ancient Sanskrit literature (Srimad Bhagvatam or
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
) and are worshipped together as twins in the
Kumaon Kumaon or Kumaun may refer to:
* Kumaon division, a region in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon Kingdom, a former country in Uttarakhand, India
* Kumaon, Iran, a village in Isfahan Province, Iran
* , a ship of the Royal Indian Navy during WWII
See also
...
,
Garhwal and elsewhere in India. The first published reference to Nanda Devi East as Sunanda Devi appears to be in a recent novel (Malhotra 2011) that has the Kumaon region as backdrop.
In addition to being the
23rd highest independent peak in the world, Nanda Devi is also notable for its large, steep rise above local terrain. It rises over above its immediate southwestern base on the
Dakkhini Nanda Devi Glacier in about , and its rise above the glaciers to the north is similar. This makes it among the steepest peaks in the world at this scale, closely comparable, for example, to the local profile of
K2. Nanda Devi is also impressive when considering terrain that is a bit further away, as it is surrounded by relatively deep valleys. For example, it rises over above the valley of the Goriganga in only .
[''Garhwal-Himalaya-Ost'', 1:150,000 scale topographic map, prepared in 1992 by Ernst Huber for the ]Swiss Foundation for Alpine Research
Swiss may refer to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
*Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
*Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports
*Swiss Internatio ...
, based on maps of the Survey of India.
On the northern side of the massif lies the
Uttari Nanda Devi Glacier, flowing into the Uttari Rishi Glacier. To the southwest, one finds the Dakkhini Nanda Devi Glacier, flowing into the Dakkhini Rishi Glacier. All of these glaciers are located within the Sanctuary, and drain west into the Rishiganga. To the east lies the Pachu Glacier, and to the southeast lie the Nandaghunti and Lawan Glaciers, feeding the Lawan Gad; all of these drain into the Milam Valley. To the south is the Pindari Glacier, draining into the Pindar River. Just to the south of Sunanda Devi, dividing the Lawan Gad drainage from the Dakkhini Nanda Devi Glacier, is Longstaff
Col, , one of the high passes that guard access to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary.
For a list of notable peaks of the Sanctuary and its environs, see
Nanda Devi National Park
The Nanda Devi National Park or Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, established in 1982 is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in Chamoli Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, in northern India. The entire park lies at an ele ...
.
Exploration and climbing history
The ascent of Nanda Devi necessitated fifty years of arduous exploration in search of a passage into the Sanctuary. The outlet is the Rishi Gorge, a deep, narrow canyon which is very difficult to traverse safely, and is the biggest hindrance to entering the Sanctuary; any other route involves difficult
passes, the lowest of which is .
Hugh Ruttledge
Hugh Ruttledge (24 October 1884 – 7 November 1961) was an English civil servant and mountaineer who was the leader of two expeditions to Mount Everest in 1933 and 1936.
Early life
The son of Lt.-Colonel Edward Butler Ruttledge, of the Indian ...
attempted to reach the peak three times in the 1930s and failed each time. In a letter to ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' he wrote that 'Nanda Devi imposes on her votaries an admission test as yet beyond their skill and endurance', adding that gaining entry to the Nanda Devi Sanctuary alone was more difficult than reaching the
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...
br>
In 1934, the British explorers
Eric Shipton and
H. W. Tilman
Major Harold William Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar, (14 February 1898 – November 1977) was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.
Early years and Africa
Bill Tilman was born on 14 Feb ...
, with three
Sherpa Sherpa may refer to:
Ethnography
* Sherpa people, an ethnic group in north eastern Nepal
* Sherpa language
Organizations and companies
* Sherpa (association), a French network of jurists dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility
* ...
companions,
Angtharkay, Pasang and Kusang, finally
discovered a way through the Rishi Gorge into the Sanctuary.
![Nanda Devi Peak from Ranikhet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Nanda_Devi_Peak_from_Ranikhet.jpg)
When the mountain was later climbed in 1936 by a British-American expedition, it became the
highest peak climbed by man until the
1950 ascent of Annapurna, . (However, higher non-summit elevations had already been reached by the British on
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is List of highest mountains on Earth, Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border ru ...
in the 1920s, and it is possible that
George Mallory
George Herbert Leigh Mallory (18 June 1886 – 8 or 9 June 1924) was an English mountaineer who took part in the first three British expeditions to Mount Everest in the early 1920s.
Born in Cheshire, Mallory became a student at Winchest ...
reached Everest's summit in 1924.) It also involved steeper and more sustained terrain than had been previously attempted at such a high altitude.
The expedition climbed the south ridge, also known as the Coxcomb Ridge, which leads relatively directly to the main summit.
The summit pair were
H. W. Tilman
Major Harold William Tilman, CBE, DSO, MC and Bar, (14 February 1898 – November 1977) was an English mountaineer and explorer, renowned for his Himalayan climbs and sailing voyages.
Early years and Africa
Bill Tilman was born on 14 Feb ...
and
Noel Odell
Noel Ewart Odell FRSE FGS (25 December 1890 – 21 February 1987) was an English geologist and mountaineer. In 1924 he was an oxygen officer on the Everest expedition in which George Mallory and Andrew Irvine famously perished during their summit ...
;
Charles Houston was to be in place of Tilman, but he contracted severe food poisoning. Noted mountaineer and mountain writer
H. Adams Carter
Hubert Adams "Ad" Carter (June 6, 1914 – April 1, 1995) was an American mountaineer, language teacher and was editor of the ''American Alpine Journal'' for 35 years.
Biography
Carter was born in Newton, Massachusetts in 1914, and made his fir ...
was also on the expedition, which was notable for its small scale and lightweight ethic: it included only seven climbers, and used no
fixed rope
In mountaineering, a fixed rope or fixed line is the practice of fixing in place bolted ropes to assist climbers and walkers in exposed mountain locations. They are used widely on American and European climbing routes, where they may be called via ...
s, nor any
Sherpa Sherpa may refer to:
Ethnography
* Sherpa people, an ethnic group in north eastern Nepal
* Sherpa language
Organizations and companies
* Sherpa (association), a French network of jurists dedicated to promoting corporate social responsibility
* ...
support above . Eric Shipton, who was not involved in the climb itself, called it "the finest mountaineering achievement ever performed in the Himalaya."
After abortive attempts by Indian expeditions in 1957 and 1961, the second ascent of Nanda Devi was accomplished by an Indian team led by N. Kumar in 1964, following the Coxcomb route.
CIA mission
From 1965 to 1968, attempts were made by the
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...
(CIA), in co-operation with the
Intelligence Bureau (IB), to place a nuclear-powered telemetry relay listening device on the summit of Nanda Devi.
This device was designed to intercept telemetry signals from missile test launches conducted in the
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...
Province, at a time of relative infancy in
China's missile program. The expedition retreated due to dangerous weather conditions, leaving the device near the summit of Nanda Devi. They returned the next spring to search for the device, which ended without success.
As a result of this activity by the CIA, the Sanctuary was closed to foreign expeditions throughout much of the 1960s. In 1974 the Sanctuary re-opened.
Subsequent climbs
![Nanda Devi from Kausani](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Nanda_Devi_from_Kausani.JPG)
A difficult new route, the northwest buttress, was climbed by a 13-person team in 1976. Three Americans,
John Roskelley
John Roskelley (born December 1, 1948) is an American mountain climber and author from Spokane, Washington. He made first ascents and notable ascents of 7,000-meter (22,966 ft.) and 8,000-meter peaks (26,247 ft.) in Nepal, India, and Pakistan.
...
,
Jim States and
Louis Reichardt
Louis French Reichardt (born June 4, 1942) is a noted American neuroscientist and mountaineering, mountaineer, the first American to summit both Everest and K2. He was also director of the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative, the largest ...
, summitted on 1 September. The expedition was co-led by Reichardt,
H. Adams Carter
Hubert Adams "Ad" Carter (June 6, 1914 – April 1, 1995) was an American mountaineer, language teacher and was editor of the ''American Alpine Journal'' for 35 years.
Biography
Carter was born in Newton, Massachusetts in 1914, and made his fir ...
(who was on the 1936 climb,) and
Willi Unsoeld
William Francis Unsoeld (October 5, 1926 – March 4, 1979) was an American mountaineer who was a member of the first American expedition to summit Mount Everest. The American Mount Everest Expedition was led by Norman Dyhrenfurth, and included ...
, who climbed the West Ridge of Everest in 1963. Unsoeld's daughter, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, who was named after the peak, died on this expedition.
[J. Roskelley, ''Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition'' (The Mountaineers Books, 2000) ] She had been suffering from "diarrhea and flare-up of an
inguinal hernia
An inguinal hernia is a hernia (protrusion) of abdominal-cavity contents through the inguinal canal. Symptoms, which may include pain or discomfort especially with or following coughing, exercise, or bowel movements, are absent in about a third ...
, which had shown up originally on the second day of the approach march", and had been at for nearly five days.
In 1980, the
Indian Army Corps of Engineers
The Indian Army Corps of Engineers is a combat support arm which provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations and maintains connectivity along the borders, besides helping the civil ...
made an unsuccessful attempt.
This was followed in 1981 by another Indian Army expedition of the Parachute Regiment, which attempted both main and eastern peaks simultaneously. The expedition had placed a memorial to Nanda Devi Unsoeld at the high altitude meadow of Sarson Patal prior to the attempt. The successful attempt lost all its summiteers.
In 1993, a 40-member team of the Indian Army from the
Corps of Engineers was given special permission. The aim of the expedition was multifold: to carry out an ecological survey, clean up the refuse left behind by previous expeditions, and scale the summit. The team led by Lt Col V.K. Bhatt included a number of wildlife scientists and ecologists from
Wildlife Institute of India
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous natural resource service institution established in 1982 under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate change, Government of India.
WII carries out wildlife research in areas of stu ...
, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History,
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
and Govind Ballabh Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development amongst others. The expedition carried out a comprehensive ecological survey and removed from the park, by porter and helicopter, over 1,000 kilogrammes of litter. Additionally, five summiteers reached the summit: Amin Naik, Anand Swaroop, G. K. Sharma, Didar Singh and S. P. Bhatt.
[Sanan, Deepak (1995) ''Nandadevi – Restoring Glory'' Sapper Adventure Foundation & Wiley Eastern Limited ]
Recent history and conservation
After the re-opening of the sanctuary in 1974 to foreign climbers, trekkers and locals, the fragile ecosystem was soon compromised by firewood cutting, littering and grazing. Serious environmental problems were noted as early as 1977, and the sanctuary was closed again in 1983.
Currently, Nanda Devi forms the core of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (which includes
Nanda Devi National Park
The Nanda Devi National Park or Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, established in 1982 is a national park situated around the peak of Nanda Devi (7816 m) in Chamoli Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, in northern India. The entire park lies at an ele ...
), declared by the Indian government in 1982. In 1988, Nanda Devi National Park was declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
, "of outstanding
cultural or
natural
Nature, in the broadest sense, is the physical world or universe. "Nature" can refer to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general. The study of nature is a large, if not the only, part of science. Although humans are ...
importance to the common heritage of
humankind
Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
."
[Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks – UNESCO World Heritage Centre](_blank)
/ref> The entire sanctuary, and hence the main summit (and interior approaches to the nearby peaks), are off-limits to locals and to climbing expeditions, although a one-time exception was made in 1993 for a 40-member team from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers
The Indian Army Corps of Engineers is a combat support arm which provides combat engineering support, develops infrastructure for armed forces and other defence organisations and maintains connectivity along the borders, besides helping the civil ...
to check the state of recovery and to remove garbage left by prior expeditions. Sunanda Devi remains open from the east side, leading to the standard south ridge route. After a sustained campaign by the local community as reflected in the Nanda Devi Declaration of 2001, the core zone of the Nanda Devi was opened for limited eco-tourism activity in 2003. In 2006, the campaign invited women trekkers from 4 countries during the inaugural trek inside the National Park. As a follow up, the Campaign for Cultural Survival and Sustainable Livelihoods has now designed an Interpretive Trek to the Nanda Devi National Park. An Interpretation Centre on Bio Cultural Diversity of the Nanda Devi National Park is under development in the village of Lata, the gateway to the Nanda Devi National Park. A maximum number of 500 trekkers are now allowed to enter the core zone until Dharansi between May and October. The trek to Nanda Devi National Park starts from the village of Lata, located 25 kilometres upstream from the town of Joshimath on Niti-Malari highway.
2021 flood
On 7 February 2021 it was reported that a portion of the Nanda Devi glacier broke away
"Broke Away" is the second single from Scottish band Wet Wet Wet's third studio album, '' Holding Back the River''. It was released on 27 November 1989, entering the charts at number 39 the following Sunday. It peaked four weeks later at number ...
, causing the Dhauliganga and the Rishiganga rivers to flood. One dam at the Dhauliganga hydropower project at Reni village was destroyed and another suffered a partial collapse. Initial reports said nine people were dead and 140 missing. Water levels on the Alaknanda also rose.
Gallery
File:Nanda Devi peak view from the west near Deodi camp in Rishi Ganga gorge Mon 2 Jun 1980.jpg, Nanda Devi peak view from the west near Deodi camp in Rishi Ganga gorge
File:Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara Jun 1980.jpg, Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara
File:Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara Jun 1980 closeup.jpg, Nanda Devi peak view from outer Sanctuary near Bujgara closeup
File:Nanda Devi peaks wide view SE from slopes of Kalanka in Changabang Gal Jun 1980.jpg, Nanda Devi peaks wide view SE from slopes of Kalanka in Changabang Gal
File:Nanda Devi peak N face view from slopes of Deo Damla Jun 1980.jpg, Nanda Devi peak N face view from slopes of Deo Damla
File:Nanda Devi north face viewed from Deo Damla approach valley June 1980.jpg, Nanda Devi north face viewed from Deo Damla approach valley
References
Books
* . (reprinted 1994). ''The Nanda Devi Affair'', Penguin Books India. .
* (2003). ''Spies in the Himalayas: Secret Missions and Perilous Climbs'', University Press of Kansas. .
* (2010). ''River Deep, Mountain High''
The Caravan Magazine
* (2011) ''Nude Besides the Lake'', Createspace
* . (2000). ''Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition'', The Mountaineers Books. .
* . (1995) ''Nandadevi – Restoring Glory'' – New Age International (Wiley Eastern Ltd), New Delhi. .
* (Reprinted 2000). ''Nanda Devi:Exploration and Ascent'', The Mountaineers Books. .
* (1979) ''Himalayan Handbook'', (private pub., Calcutta).
* . (2006) ''An Eye at the Top of the World: The Terrifying Legacy of the Cold War's Most Daring C.I.A. Operation'', Thunder's Mouth Press. .
* (2004) ''Nanda Devi: A Journey to the Last Sanctuary'', Weidenfeld & Nicolson
* Tilman, H. W., ''The Ascent of Nanda Devi'', Cambridge University Press. 1937.
External links
"Kargil war hero missing in Nanda Devi snowstorm" Indianexpress.com
Nanda Devi Campaign
– web site of the local inhabitants
* – photos
Unesco World Heritage Site
on Nanda Devi
GMVN – Uttarakhand Tourism page on Nanda Devi National Park
article describing the Nanda Devi Sanctuary
{{Authority control
Sacred mountains
Mountains of Uttarakhand
Biosphere reserves of India
Tourist attractions in Uttarakhand
World Heritage Sites in India
Geography of Chamoli district
Highest points of Indian states and union territories
Seven-thousanders of the Himalayas
National symbols of India