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Introduction |
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The Himalaya is the greatest
mountain system in the world. It stretches 2400 km (1,500
miles) from east to west. A Himalayan peaks is above 20,000
ft (6000m) in height and there are over thousand of such
peaks.
The allure of danger, the mystery of unknown, the sheer
beauty of majestic peaks around and above all an urge to
experience the challenge of climbing world's highest
mountains have attracted thousand of climbers to tread the
icy Himalayan slopes.
The first steps toward Himalayan climbing were taken in 19th
century, and several expedition teams were able to make
important experiments and significant progress in climbing
Mt. Everest, Nanga parbat and K2. However it was only after
the opening of the Nepal Himalayas, followed by the
successful ascents of first peak over the height of 8000m -
Annapurna (8091m) by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal in
1950 and Mt. Everest on 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and
Sir Edmund Hillary, the mountaineering activities in the
Himalayas started to gain wider popularity.
Why in Pokhara:
To help decentralization of development.
Pokhara is the second tourism destination of the country.
It is a gateway to mountains and world famous trekking
routes.
First eight thousander summited by French on Annapurna I.
Objectives:
Collection, documentation and display of the natural history
and culture of the Himalayas and the world mountains.
Record and document chronicles of mountain activities in the
Himalayas and other International mountain ranges.
Function as an educational and center for research on
anthropology, sociology, mountaineers, ecology for the
researchers, tourists, students and general public.
Provide a forum to share information among the international
mountain community.
About IMM
With the objectives to record, document, exhibit and
chronicle the past and the present development of mountain
and mountaineering activities in the world, with support of
many mountaineering clubs and associations individual donors
from the world, Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA) has
built this International Mountain Museum (IMM) in Pokhara.
The museum was partially opened on May, 2002 by famous
climbers Ms. Tabei Junko and Appa Sherpa. It was fully
opened for public on feb 05, 2004. With the display area of
more than 4200 sq.mt. Museum building is built on 12.6 acres
land with nice open landscape.
Detail:
Land Area : 100 Ropanies
(5.10 Hectares, 12.58 Acres)
Land purchase by NMA on : 4th Aug 1985, costs
Nrs.12000.00 per Ropani
Foundation Stone : Laid on 1st Nov.
1995 by the Honb’l Minister for
Tourism Mr. Chakra Prasad Bastola
Soft Opening : On 29th May
2002 by the famous climbers
Ms.
Junko Tabei and Mr. Appa Sherpa, graced by
Honb’l Minister
for culture, tourism and civil aviation
Mr. Bal Bahadur K.C.
Grand Opening : 05th Feb 2004 by
the Rt. Honb’l Prime Minister
Mr. Surya
Bahadur Thapa
Plinth area of Building : 3,110 Sq. Mt.
Total Display and facility area : 4,250 Sq Mt
Total Cost : Approx. Nrs.
100 million has been invested for the
establishment of museum and its premises including
land purchase, Landscaping, Access roads, Compound
walls and living museum etc.
About
the Exhibition Halls
The theme of this museum is to cover the information and
exhibits related with the Man, Mountain and Mountain
activities around the world. The whole display area of the
museum is based and divided on the above theme therefore the
exhibition Halls are as follows:
Hall of Mountain People:
It introduces the customs, tradition, heritage,
culture and way of life of the mountain peoples.
Hall of World Mountains:
This hall presents the introduction of all the
fourteen peaks over 8000 m. and geological facts about the
origin of world mountain system. The hall also displays and
gives explanations on the subjects like flora/fauna of
Himalayan mountain and it further exhibits about the great
personalities i.e. Kumar Khadga Bikrum Shah (founder
president of NMA), Dr. Toni Hagen (Renown geologist who
published the book "Nepal"), Reverend Kawaguchi Ekai (The
first Japanese who entered Nepal in 1899), and Dr. Harka
Gurung (Renown scholar, geographer, development planner and
first tourism minister of Nepal). In the flora fauna section
WWF and National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has
displayed their various activities for the nature
conservation in Himalayan region.
Hall of Mountain Activities:
It comprises the historical ascents and explorations
in and around mountain areas, trekking etc. And it also
displays the development of the climbing gears and required
equipments for mountaineering.
Hall of Associates' / Periodic
exhibition: The presentation of various
activities carried out by different INGO's and NGO's in and
around mountain areas e.g.:- IUCN, ICIMOD are displayed and
explained in this hall.
Library
: A small library with a collection of more than 2,000 books
related to mountaineering, culture, flora/fauna, geology and
glaciology of famous author and the various journals of the
world could be used by the students and scholars.
What to see
1. Way of life of different mountain people of
Himalayas and rest of world as well, like:- Tamang, Thakali,
Chantyal, Gurung, Magar, Sherpa and also Slovenian, Japanese
and Taiwanese.
2. Comparative pictures of the way of life of Nepal
Himalayas and European Alps, which has intended to show that
we are not very far behind to catch the desired development,
it is just two generation away i.e. fifty years.
3. Brief introduction to the 14 highest peaks in the
world. A lot of impressive pictures of various mountains of
Himalayas.
4. Birth of Himalayas, typical rocks, fossils and
geological formation are displayed in the geological section
such as Metamorphic rock, Sedimentary rock, Minerals,
Fossils (Ammonites), folding of rocks and ripple marked
rocks etc.
5. In the flora fauna section WWF and National Trust
for Nature Conservation has displayed their various
activities for the nature conservation in Himalayan region,
along with the nice pictures of the flowers of the
Himalayas.
6. To give the honor to Kumar Khadga Bikrum Shah, Dr.
Toni Hagen, Reverend Ekai Kawaguchi and Dr. Harka Gurung for
their significant contribution for the introduction and
promotion of the Nepal Himalayas to rest of the world, a
corner has been dedicated in their honor and hence their
exemplary works are on display.
7. Mountaineering chronicles of the first ascents of
all the highest peaks (above 8000m) of the world are
displayed in the panels of mountain activity Hall. Likewise
this section exhibits the equipment used by those
expeditions.
8. The necessary equipments, way of their uses and
their development history are exhibited in the showcases in
the same Hall.
9. Tale of 'YETI', (the sensation of the Himalayas),
presents the stories, thoughts and beliefs of famous
researchers and writers and the remark of the local people
who encountered with Yeti.
10. Display of garbage from Mt.Everest tells us how
the human activities on mountain pollute the mountains.
11. Royal Geographical Society and British Council
has presented the historical pictures of Everest region
which reflect the mountaineering activities since 1921 to
1953 (the first ascent of Mt. Everest) under the title of
'Imaging Everest'.
12. Trekking view section shows the typical
photographs of the Annapurna area.
13. The presentation of various activities carried
out by IUCN, ICIMOD in and around mountain.
Lakhang: A prayer
room is a symbolic of the prevalent religion in the
Himalayan region. A prayer by the Lama before the climbing
on the mountains takes place has become a part of culture of
mountaineering in the Himalayas.
Other Facilities:
Audio Visual Hall: : To screening the
documentary, films and other presentation a small
Audio/Visual hall is in the Museum building
Conference Hall : A conference hall
is available.
Outdoor Facilities:
Craft Village : The thatched
huts on the south-eastern side of the Museum building,
offers a view of the typical Nepali mountain village. It
acts as a living museum, where one can see people at work
with all originality and tradition.
Restaurant : The restaurant in
the same craft village serves all kind of foods including
typical Nepali delicacies.
Souvenir Shop : A small souvenir
shop is located inside the museum hall and in the craft
village area as well.
Mt. Manaslu Model : The climbable 31
feet high model of Mt. Manaslu, just out side of the museum
building is another attraction for the visitors.
Maurice Herzog
and Louis Lachenal climbing wall : A artificial
climbing wall of about 21m height in the museum premise is
another sensational facility to those who love the climbing
sports.
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