Draupadi Ka Danda
Draupadi Ka Danda (English: Draupadi's Hill) are two peaks in the Gangotri range of Garhwal Himalaya in Uttarakhand, India.[1] The Dokriani glacier emerges from the northern slope of the mountain.[2]
| Draupadi Ka Danda | |
|---|---|
 The summit of Draupadi Ka Danda II | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 5,670 m (18,600 ft) |
| Listing | List of mountain peaks of Uttarakhand |
| Coordinates | 30°50′06″N 78°48′32″E |
| Geography | |
  Draupadi Ka Danda  Draupadi Ka Danda | |
| Parent range | Garhwal Himalaya |
The heights of the peaks are uncertain. In various literature, elevation has been reported as 5,670 metres, 5716m or sometimes above 6000m.[3][4]
On the morning of 4 October 2022, a team of 41 climbers from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering attempting Draupadi Ka Danda II were hit by an avalanche a few hundred meters below the summit.[5] It was a team of 34 advance mountaineering course trainees and 7 instructors. The dead bodies of twenty-seven were recovered during rescue operations, and two mountaineers could not be found.[6][7]
Etymology
The name Draupadi Ka Danda is derived from the combination of two words, Draupadi (A character of Mahabharata Epic) and danda meaning "peak".[8]
Legends
As per local folklore, the Pandavas and their wife Draupadi, the central figures of the Hindu epic, Mahabharata had traversed through the area, also known as Devbhumi, (God's own land) on their way to heaven. Just before being carried into the higher regions, Draupadi had planted her staff (similar to modern-day hiking sticks) into the ground. The mountain is believed to exist where the staff once stood.[9]
References
- Across Peaks and Passess in Garhwal Himalaya. Kapadia, Harish p. 166: "On the northwest of the Bhilangana valley lies a group of peaks: Kairi, Jaonli, Draupadi-ka-Danda..."
- Hasnain, Syed Iqbal (1999). Himalayan Glaciers: Hydrology and Hydrochemistry. Allied Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7023-922-2.
- The Himalayan Club Newsletter. Himalayan Club. 1985.
- Upadhyay, Kavita (June 23, 2016). "Woman rescued from crevasse in Uttarakhand's Dokriani glacier" – via www.thehindu.com.
- Oct 5, Gaurav Talwar / TNN / Updated. "Avalanche Hits 41 Nim Trainees & Teachers | Dehradun News - Times of India". The Times of India.
- "Uttarakhand: Search for two mountaineers continues for 11th day". The New Indian Express.
- "Uttarakhand: 27 Bodies In Uttarkashi Avalanche Found, Search Operations Continues On Sixth Day". Outlook India. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
- "Draupadi's Hill". Uttarakhand Hub.
- "Shyam Saran: Despoiling the Himalayas". Business Standard. Retrieved October 8, 2014.