(This is a review of the book titled “Nanda Devi” by the Tadakamalla Vivek. The author: Sandeep Madadi)
(Tadakamalla Vivek)
I remember reading an essay titled “Why men climb?” in my undergraduate course. The title evoked a lot of banter amongst us, young as we were. One of the reasons the author offered was ‘because they are there’. Though banal and facetious on the face of it, which the author was conscious of, the essay dwelt in some detail on the urge of human beings to take challenges, test their potential to perform physically, endure hardship and feel a sense of self-actualization.
Mountains have been beckoning men for ages. Conversely, the human urge to measure up to mountains is as old as the mountains themselves. Some braved the challenge and many others surrendered to the might of the mountains. Among the global mountain system, the Himalayas, being the youngest and tallest, have long invited intrepid mountaineers. Much like the young, the Himalayan geology is unstable and impulsive and the weather changes its moods in a trice. Many mountaineers failed to predict its ever-changing weather and ended up with derailed plans, some resulting in aborting the expedition. Nanda Devi is a peak in the pantheon of Himalayan peaks, whose myth and charm enticed Sandeep Madadi, the author of the book who undertook the journey in cohort with his not-so-enthusiastic friends namely Raj and Sai. Sandeep captured the myriad myths and mystique of this peak in an eponymous volume of about one hundred pages in a demi-sized book. Not to forget, he narrates the legends about Nanda Devi, the simple and austere life of those living amid mountains, their existential anxieties, and the adventures of local heroes. Sandeep narrates the highs and lows he faced during the expedition without much obfuscation which should lay bare the threats and thrills one encounters on a mountain trail. An expedition into mountains, particularly the snow-covered ones, is not a prospectus for a pleasure trip. There are moments when one feels frustrated to the point of terminating the plan. Yet when the splendor of nature reveals itself, one feels so blessed and forgets all the self-inflicted weariness. For the author that moment of bliss occurs after traversing the treacherous trail of Himalayan terrain braving the unpredictable boulders rolling down the peaks, the landslides blocking the narrow paths, and all hazards characteristic of mountain topography. The reader is, however, treated to the much-vaunted magnificence of Nanda Devi only after he has read seventy-six pages. First-hand accounts of some who scaled the peak offer interesting insights into the trials and tribulations of expeditions.
The reader is initiated into the expedition account with a chronology of events between 1883 to 2003. Black and white pictures of peaks, valleys, and gorges give the reader a glimpse of the Himalayan topography. A glossary of relevant geographical terms towards the end of the book adds to the ease of understanding the narration. Nanda Devi was declared a National Park in 1982. The inner sanctuary has remained out –of – bounds ever since. Nanda Devi courts more rumor following the yet-to-be-explained and confirmed attempt by a foreign spy agency to plant a plutonium-fueled device on the summit. Nanda Devi is not only a mountain. It means bliss-giving Goddess. A Deity. A mystique surrounds her. It nurtures a vast ecosystem in its vast sanctuary. By any reckoning, it is much more than a mere peak. Explorers are drawn to her. Sandeep drew his motivation from reading Shipton’s highly romanticized account. Each one of us has our reasons to trek the hills and mountains. Reading Nanda Devi should give you a reason to climb hills and mountains if you haven’t got one.
