Historical Geography of Ancient India c6.247

c6.247

Gaurīśaṅkara.—It is the Mount Everest in Nepal. This Himalayan peak which is really situated on the Nepal-Tibet border is regarded as the highest mountain-peak on earth. It is 29,002 ft. high. (Law, Mountains of India, pp. 2, 6). It is known by various names, e.g. Devadhuṅga, Como Kaṅkar, Como Lungma, Como Uri, Chelungbu and Mi-ti-Gu-ti-Ca-pu Longnga. Some hold that Radhanath Sikdar was not the discoverer of the Mount Everest. The discovery of the Mount was due to the combined efforts of the department of the Survey of India (Mount Everest—its name and height by B. T. Gulatee, Survey of India—Technical paper No. 4). Gulatee has pointed out that the Mount Everest has defied any attempt at finality both as regards its height and local name. In 1953 Hillary and Tenzing reached its summit and found it to be a perfect cone covered with snow on which they were free to move about.