Maharaj plans to seek national & international efforts to add Sikdar’s surname to Mt Everest
Stargazing, theatre & art gallery to be added to George Everest Estate
Wednesday, 13 December 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Tourism and Culture minister Satpal Maharaj said that he will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek efforts through the ministry to add the surname of Radhanath Sikdar to Mount Everest as he had played a vital role in calculating the height of the world’s highest mountain. Stating this while interacting with media persons at the George Everest Estate where the nation’s first cartography museum was opened to the public earlier in September this year, the minister said that stargazing, a theatre and art gallery will also be added to the estate.
Maharaj further said that in the past the house and observatory used by the then surveyor general George Everest in Hathipaon area of Mussoorie was in ruins. The Tourism department renovated the building and site at a cost of about Rs 23.69 crore with financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
The building was reconstructed using the traditional building methods and special care was taken to maintain the originality of the building which was first constructed in 1832. The renovated building was inaugurated by the minister in December 2021. The cartography museum made in this building is the first and only cartography museum in the nation. It has exhibits displaying the history of cartography, various tools and equipment used in cartography, information about Everest along with noted Indian surveyors including Radhanath Sikdar, Nain Singh Rawat and aspects of the Great Trigonometrical Survey.
Maharaj said, “We have displayed unique exhibits and interesting information in this cartography museum. We are also planning to add a theatre and an art gallery in the estate. The theatre will be used to show items on cartography and other related aspects. Apart from this, the works of talented local artists could also be displayed and put up for sale in the planned art gallery. In addition to this, we are also planning to facilitate stargazing from here in the future. In addition to this, we are also planning to seek efforts at the national and international level to get Sikdar’s surname added to the name of Mount Everest due to his role in calculating the height of the world’s tallest mountain which was earlier known as peak 50,” the minister said.
The helipad adjoining the Everest Estate has been named after Sikdar. The helipad is used mainly for sightseeing flights operated for tourists.
