Why Is Nanda Devi Called a “Sanctuary” Mountain? History, Wildlife & Conservation Explained

Fact

Information

Mountain

Nanda Devi

Height

7,817 m

Location

Uttarakhand, India

Main protected area

Nanda Devi National Park

Historic name

Nanda Devi Sanctuary

Game sanctuary declared

1939

National Park established

1982

UNESCO World Heritage

1988

Biosphere Reserve

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve

Important wildlife

Snow leopard, musk deer, bharal, black bear, Himalayan tahr

Major river system

Alaknanda and its tributaries

Reason

What it means

Very difficult to reach

The steep mountains and deep gorges made it hard to get in.

Rich wildlife

Animals like snow leopard, musk deer and Himalayan black bear are present in the area.

Natural protection

The rugged landscape was a natural barrier.

Few people lived inside

The inner protected area had very little permanent human activity

Conservation

The area was established as a protected area to preserve flora and fauna.

Mountain wilderness

This basin was rather quiet in comparison to many other parts of the Himalayas.

Year

Important Event

1883

The first recorded attempt was made to enter the Rishi Ganga Valley at the base of the Nanda Devi peaks. The mountaineers were stopped by the steep and dangerous gorge at the entrance of the valley.

1934

Eric Shipton and H. W. Tilman discovered a route into the “inner sanctuary” of the Rishi Basin.

1936

H. W. Tilman and N. E. Odell successfully climbed Nanda Devi for the first time.

1939

The entire Rishi Basin was declared a game sanctuary to protect its wildlife and natural environment.

1962

The India–China border was closed indefinitely. This affected the traditional trade and migration routes of the Bhotiya people. Many local people later turned to trekking and tourism for their livelihoods.

1974

Protests began against commercial forest clearing and tree cutting in Reni village, leading to the famous Chipko Movement. Gaura Devi played an important role by leading village women in protecting the forest. Women later participated in Chipko actions across Uttarakhand.

1974

Nanda Devi was opened to Western mountaineering, creating a short period of economic growth for local communities. It became one of the most popular Himalayan destinations after Everest, while Lata village became an important starting point for expeditions.

1977

The first reports of ecological damage caused by tourism raised concerns among environmental groups.

1982

The Nanda Devi Sanctuary was upgraded to a National Park. Treks, expeditions and grazing were banned in the core area to protect the environment.

1988

Nanda Devi National Park became the core area of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR). The Man and the Biosphere Programme began activities to reduce the impact of restrictions on nearby communities.

1992

UNESCO declared Nanda Devi National Park a World Heritage Site.

1993

An army-led team removed about 1,000 tonnes of rubbish left behind by mountaineering expeditions in the Reserve.

1998

Growing anger over forest restrictions led to a large protest in which people entered the protected core area. This movement became known as “Jhapto Cheeno”, meaning roughly “swoop and grab.”

2000

The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve became part of the newly created state of Uttaranchal (now Uttarakhand), increasing hopes that ecotourism could become an important source of local income.

2001

The Indian Mountaineering Foundation was allowed to study the tourism potential of the NDBR. Local villagers pushed for community rights to be considered first.

2001

The Lata Village Council organised a workshop with villagers and grassroots organisations. It supported community-based ecotourism and the conservation of biocultural diversity.

2002

A new state government was elected in Uttaranchal. The Nanda Devi issue became an important local political matter, and the local MLA and tourism minister lost his position.

2003

A new NDBR director, after discussions with community groups and activists, introduced a policy allowing regulated tourism with community participation.

2004

The first Annual Nanda Devi Women’s Festival was organised. Local communities also marked the 30th anniversary of the Chipko Movement.

2004

The Nanda Devi campaign received the runner-up Conde Nast Ecotourism Award.

2004

Bali Devi attended the UNEP “Women as the Voice of the Environment” conference in Nairobi, becoming the first Chipko woman activist to attend an overseas conference.

2005

Land was acquired in Lata village for a proposed museum on biocultural diversity under the Nanda Devi Education Trust.

2006

On 8 March 2006, the Nanda Devi Campaign launched its website, Mountain Shepherds.

The US-based Winterline Foundation supported training in basic mountaineering for 40 unemployed young people from the NDBR area and plans for a company run by trained local youth.

Basic mountaineering training at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, was scheduled to begin on 20 August 2006.

The Nanda Devi Campaign planned the first Nanda Devi Women’s Trek, with 17 women from different parts of the world, to mark the partial opening of the NDBR to community-based tourism.