Nanda Devi

Nanda Devi, mountain of the western Himalaya, 7,817 m (25,645 ft) high, dominating the district of Garhwal in Uttaranchal state, India. The mountain has a notably beautiful peak, largely snow-covered and with symmetrical lines. The Hindus consider Nanda Devi holy because it is near the source of the sacred Ganges River, and it is an object of worship by many pilgrims. Access to the mountain is very difficult. The first explorers to find a way to its base were the British mountaineers Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman. In 1936 Tilman returned with an expedition that reached the summit. At the time, Nanda Devi was the highest mountain to have been climbed to the top, and it remained so until 1950, when a French expedition climbed Annapurna. The Nanda Devi National Park, established in 1982, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.