Himalayan Day was celebrated on Tuesday by several organisations and activist groups to focus attention on issues related to this mighty mountain chain, especially conservation of its ecology.
This initiative was launched by a group of noted environmentalists and activists, including Sunder lal Bahuguna, Anil Joshi and Radha Behan. Himalayan Day is celebrated to spread the message that solutions for sustainable development and ecological stability for the Himalayas must be as unique as the Himalayan ecosystem itself. This day, which was observed for the first time in 2010, is an occasion to
remember and pay tribute to glorious episodes connected to the Himalayas.
Memories of The Great Arc Expedition, or the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India, that was led by Col. William lambton two centuries ago, and later accomplished by Sir George Everest, still lie undiscovered in parts of the Doon Valley. Tributes must be paid, on this occasion, to the pioneer surveyors of the Great Arc Survey who enabled the Himalayas to gain their rightful place in the world as the tallest mountains in the world which till then were considered inferior to the Andes.
It was a result of this survey that the height of Mount Everest was determined and the great peak named after the venerable Surveyor, George Everest. An important relic lies preserved in the St. Thomas Church on Rajpur Road, perhaps the oldest garrison church in the region. The memorial plaque in St. Thomas Church immortalises the memory of George Henry Walter Shelverton, a deputy superintendent in the Survey, who died near Madras in 1871 due to a Malarial fever.
The Survey laid the foundation of scientific geodesy that provided an incomparable framework of precise geodetic control points and enabled topographical and cadastral maps to be based on inch
perfect surveys.
George Everest Estate in Mussoorie provided the vantage point for Everest from where he used Arcadia Grant as a baseline to measure the Himalayas. The Great Indian Arc of the Meridian was the greatest human endeavour attempted at the time. One of the unsettled scientific questions in the late 18th century was the exact nature of the shape of the earth. lambton, along with his band of surveyors and assistants, began his mission on April 10, 1802, with the first 7.5 mile baseline measurement between St. Thomas Mount in Madras and another chosen spot to its south. This measurement alone took 57 days. After lambton’s death midway through his mission in1823, the Great Arc was carried forward from Nagpur right up to the first range of the Himalayas near Mussoorie by George Everest, who had joined lambton in 1818.
The Great Arc is indeed a dramatic tale of how India was mapped and Everest was named, how the dedicated team of surveyors undertook this 40-year long high-risk journey, braving bouts of malarial fevers, dysentery, floods and inhospitable weather, through hills, jungles and swamps. This sprawling 173 acre Estate, located amid scenic surroundings, is also known as the George Everest Estate and provided the vantage point for Everest, known as the “father of Indian Geodesy”, from where he used Arcadia Grant as a baseline to measure the Himalayas.
In 1865, Mount Everest was named in the honour of the great surveyor despite his objections. It was surveyed by his successor, Andre Waugh. A year after this, Everest
passed away. Built in 1832, the Park Estate was the home and laboratory of, Sir George Everest. The plan to develop Everest House as an ecotourism destination has been hanging fire for decades now.
For years, this estate has stood as a ravaged legacy. Facing the snow capped Himalayan ranges on one side, the estate offers a breathtaking view of the Doon valley from the other side. Nestled in the picturesque Hathipaon area, this ruined estate now comprises the main building and the observatory.
When Everest, the first Surveyor General of India, closed down his office here in September 1843, he rented it out. later, it was sold it to the well-known Skinner family and then went to John Mackinnon, who died in 1870 and left it to his sons, the famous brewers. It was once owned by Mussoorie’s Shah family and Dehra Dun’s Pooran Singh family. For quite a few years, it has been with the State Government.One can only hope that the tourism department realises the historic significance of the Park Estate and develops it into a destination for tourists.