Nanda Kot, Mountain peak in Pithoragarh district, India.
Nanda Kot is a mountain summit in the Kumaon Himalaya, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, reaching 6,861 meters (22,510 feet). It stands at the boundary between the Pindar and Ghori Ganga river valleys, surrounded by glaciers and high ridges.
A Japanese expedition led by Yaichi Hotta made the first ascent in 1936, reaching the top via the Lawan Valley. The peak then received little attention for decades, partly because much of Uttarakhand was closed to foreign visitors for a long period.
The name Nanda Kot means "fort of Nanda" in the local tradition, referring to the goddess Parvati, who is worshipped in this region under the name Nanda. Villages in the surrounding valleys still hold festivals in which the mountain is treated as a sacred place.
Most climbers start from Loharkhet and pass through Dhakuri Pass and Khati Village before reaching the Dwali base camp. Proper acclimatization is essential, as the altitude gain is significant and conditions near the top are fully alpine.
In the 1960s, monitoring equipment was secretly placed below the summit to observe activity across the nearby border, as part of a covert operation. The devices were eventually abandoned, and the story only became public knowledge decades after the events took place.
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