Prime Minister Narendra Bhai Modi and his love for Indian Himalaya

Himalaya has always drawn Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and this is one of his open secrets! This attraction grew strong for the first time when he decided to leave his house and family back in Gujarat and spend few years exploring and meditating in the Himalayan Mountains. Recently, just after the campaign for 2019 Lok Sabha elections ended, the majestic spells of the Mountains drew him back to Kedarnath where he decided to meditate alone in a cave.

During his visits to the Himalaya Prime Minister developed the desire to climb and explore the unclimbed mountains but it never happened due to several constraints until he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat for the first time on 07 October, 2001. If you are thinking that after becoming the Chief Minister he went on an expedition in Himalaya and started climbing the Mountains then let me draw your attention to Swami Vivekanand Institute of Mountaineering at Mt Abu and Pandit Dindayal Mountaineering Center  at Junagadh.

Prime Minister then Chief Minister of Gujarat decided to actively promote these Mountaineering Institutes and wished that every student of Gujarat Government School should get an opportunity to learn the mountaineering and rock climbing skills and Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports should encourage them to undertake Himalayan Expeditions. For long time these were the only State Govt Center (Mt Abu & Junagadh) in India providing Rock Climbing training under Ministry of Youth Services & Cultural, Gujarat.

In 2014 when he became the Prime Minister of India for the first time, he wished river Ganga to be cleaned and Gangotri glacier in Himalaya to be protected. In 2015 a team of All India Services Officers volunteered to climb Mt Everest and spread the message of "Swach Bharat Abhiyan" initiated by the Prime Minister. The expedition was immediately flagged off by the Prime Minister and this is how first "All India Services Everest Expedition" started in 2015. For more details please visit - AIS

During his second term as Prime Minister (in 2019) Shri Kiren Rijiju - Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, GOI took his passion further into the North Eastern States of India. As North-East has natural skill and strength to climb mountains thus several mountaineering training centers started in seven sister states and Government of India sponsored several Himalayan expeditions including Mt Everest Massif Expedition in 2021 (click for details).

Today @KirenRijiju flagged off the IMF- Indian Everest Massif Expedition 2021 to Nuptse (7861 M), Lhotse (8516 M), Pumori (7161 M) and Everest (8848 M). He interacted with the participants and wished them the best. pic.twitter.com/l3mFA36DdD

— Office of Kiren Rijiju (@RijijuOffice) March 27, 2021