70th Everest Day sparked demand for Bharat Ratna for Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, 29th May: On the occasion of the 70th Everest Day, commemorating the historic first ascent of Mount Everest, and coinciding with the 109th birth anniversary of the late Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, fervent calls for posthumously awarding him the prestigious Bharat Ratna resurfaced during a program held at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI).


Representatives from the Sherpa association and the mountaineering community voiced their support for this demand, emphasizing Norgay’s remarkable contributions. As part of today’s program, the principal of HMI, accompanied by individuals from various spheres of life, paid homage to Norgay by offering tributes to his ‘samadhi’ and the statue erected in his honour, adorning them with wreaths and traditional ‘khadas’ (scarfs).

Norgay, who passed away in Darjeeling on May 9, 1986, was cremated at the premises of HMI, where a solemn samadhi stands as a testament to his legacy. Born in 1914, Norgay also served as the first field director of HMI and achieved the monumental feat of summiting Mount Everest on this very day in 1953, alongside Sir Edmund Hillary, marking them as the first individuals to conquer the world’s highest peak.


The program held at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute not only honoured the historic ascent of Everest but also reignited the conversation surrounding Tenzing Norgay Sherpa’s remarkable achievements and the deserving recognition of his contributions through the conferral of the Bharat Ratna.

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