ORIGIN AND GROWTH OF HMI

“The institute trains young men not only to climb Himalayan peaks, but also create in them an urge to climb peaks of human Endeavour. The Himalayas from time immemorial had attracted people and inspired them to discover nature’s bountiful gifts found there and influenced Indian minds as evident from old scriptures books and epics of the mythology of India”. -Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.

The prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru laying foundation Stone of the HMI on 4th November 1954

Tenzing Norgay’s ascent of Mount Everest (8848/29,028ft.) along with Edmund Hillary, 1953 provided the desired impetus to mountaineering as an organized sports in India. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister and a visionary wanted to canalize the abundant energy of the youth of nation into a constructive field of mountaineering and hence planned to open a mountaineering institute(HMI) was founded in Darjeeling on4th November by none else pandit Nehru himself. Within no time HMI became the renowned mountaineering institute in the world. Being the home town of Tenzing Norgay and one of the most beautiful place in Himalayas, Darjeeling was selected as the most appropriate place for this institute.

Initially the institute was started at Roy Villa (Sister Nivedita’s House) on lebong cart road and was shifted to present location on the western Spur of Brich hill in 1958. HMI has become an important place for tourist attraction. It commands a magnificent view of 8589M high kanchanjunga, the third highest peak of the world. In its 50 years of existence, the institute has trained more than 24,000 students including around 1000 from various foreign countries of the world. A certificate from the HMI is the prize possession of a trainee which is recognized all over the world.