The village of famed mountaineer Nirmal Purja is in mourning after he went missing on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. His sister, Kamala KC, recalls their childhood as rescuers later retrieve his body, confirming the tragic loss.
Grief in the Hometown
The Titar village in Annapurna Rural Municipality- 3, Dana of Myagdi is mourning his loss. All of Nirmal’s relatives, childhood friends and neighbours have fallen silent. “He was stubborn by nature; he would accomplish whatever he wanted or desired, whatever he thought of doing, no one could have changed his mind he would accomplish it by any means. If I would ask him not to go down or up the slope, then he would go there and get across or climb-up. He used to hunt the crabs and hit on the nest of the bees and similar insects with fist and bear the stings of insects and say I should endure the pain,” Kamala recalls her childhood with Nirmal.A banner reading “Mountaineer Nirmal Purja (Nims) Felicitation Ceremony” hangs on the balcony (veranda) of Kamala’s house. It was on March 6, 2025 that Purja was publicly honoured in Beni for setting world records in mountaineering. Kamala didn’t let go the banner and hung it in the balcony.Kamala, a former teacher who had come to the district headquarters, Beni, to attend the same event, brought the banner prepared by Annapurna Rural Municipality back home and hung it there. Although the letters on the banner have faded, the photograph on it can still be clearly seen from the Beni-Jomsom road.The house where Nirmal was born has collapsed, leaving only the remains of its walls. Kamala has planted maize and vegetables on the site where the house once stood. Kamala recalled that during that visit, Nirmal had asked her to look after the land where their old two-storey house once stood and had shared plans for the siblings to build a traditional-style house together. “I would build the house, it is where I was born Didi (sister), he had told me. His brothers also had said okay to the proposal and also had asked me to clear the debris so that it can be constructed and I also cleared the site,” Kamala said.
A Son’s Connection to His Roots
It was on March 26, 2023, Nirmal had returned to his birthplace, Dana. While accompanying Qatari Princess Asma Al Thani on an expedition to climb Annapurna, Nirmal spent two nights in Dana, where he spoke with elected representatives, relatives, village elders and neighbors.Nirmal’s father, Nand Bahadur, was an Indian Gorkha soldier. Nand Bahadur died three years ago, while his mother, Purna Kumari, passed away several years earlier. Although Nirmal’s family migrated to Chitwan, they have not sold their ancestral land and property.Nirmal was the youngest son of Nand Bahadur and Purna Kumari. His eldest brother Jang Bahadur’s family lives in Chitwan, while the family of his second-eldest brother Kamal Bahadur Purja, a former British Gurkha soldier, lives in the UK. Jit Bahadur, another elder brother and a former teacher at Gyan Prakash Secondary School in Dana, has also been living in Chitwan for the past decade. Their only sister, Anita and her family also live in Chitwan.On November 9, 2023, Nirmal obtained Non-Resident Nepali citizenship from the District Administration Office, Myagdi. Nirmal’s wife, Suchi, and their daughter, both of whom are connected to his life as a former British Gurkha soldier, also live in the UK. Busy with mountaineering expeditions, Nirmal would sometimes travel to Dana by helicopter while travelling to and from Dhaulagiri and Annapurna.
Official Tributes and Plans to Honour His Legacy
Ramesh Purja, ward chair of Annapurna Rural Municipality- 3 and one of Nirmal’s friends, said that Nirmal continued to visit Dana along with his other brothers. “We are observing a day of mourning and the rural municipality also has announced a holiday for today in mourning. Also, the chairman of the rural municipality also has announced to set up a statue of Nirmal Dai (Purja),” Ramesh Purja, Ward Chair of Nirmal Purja’s birthplace in Dana of Myagdi told ANI.Rural Municipality Chair Bharat Kumar Pun issued a condolence statement, paying tribute to Nirmal and the other deceased mountaineers and expressing sympathy to their bereaved families. Chair Pun also announced that a statue of Nirmal would be built in his honour in recognition of his contribution and courage in bringing Nepal’s mountaineering sector to international prominence.Although it may not be possible to bring Nirmal’s body back to his birthplace for cremation, residents of Dana have suggested that his ashes should be brought back and that a statue should be built at the appropriate location in his birthplace.
Philanthropy in His Birthplace
Three years ago, Nirmal announced an endowment fund of NRs. 4 million. The interest generated from the fund has been used to provide awards to the top-performing students in Grades 8, 10 and 12 at Gyan Prakash Namuna Secondary School and to provide educational materials to students at four other basic schools in Dana, the official said.”During his visit, he (Nirmal Purja) came up with the proposal to set up an endowment fund of four million Nepali rupees and its interest to be awarded to the students of Gyan Prakash Namuna Secondary School, who stands first in the class with cash of Nrs. 50,000 in Grade 8, NRs. 80,000 to the student who ranks first in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE), and NRs. 100,000 to the student who ranks first in Grade 12. Three students will get these cash prize for standing top in the class,” Principal of the school, Santa Bahadur Nepali told ANI.Other schools in the local body where the famed British-Nepali mountaineer was born are being provided with educational materials worth NRs. 500 per student at the four other basic schools.
A Storied Career: From Soldier to Mountaineer
Nirmal joined the British Gurkha Regiment in 2003 at the age of 18. In 2009, he joined the British Special Boat Service (SBS), an elite special forces unit. During his 16 years of service in the British military, his interest in mountaineering continued to grow.In 2018, Purja was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. In 2012, Nirmal reached Everest Base Camp. To learn mountaineering, he climbed 6,119-metre Lobuche East, which became his first mountain ascent.In 2019, Purja launched an expedition called “Project Possible”, through which he climbed all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 metres in six months and six days. At the time, the previous record had stood at around eight years. His record was later broken in 2023 by Norwegian mountaineer Kristin Harila, who climbed all 14 peaks in three months and one day.Nirmal’s “Project Possible” journey, which began with Annapurna in his birthplace, was documented in the film “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” which received worldwide attention. To finance his expedition to climb all 14 peaks, he raised funds by mortgaging his own house again. After “Project Possible,” he became internationally renowned. He subsequently established his own mountaineering company and an outdoor clothing brand.
Recovery Operation on Broad Peak
Rescuers on Sunday retrieved the body of famed British-Nepalese climber Nirmal Purja alongside three other climbers to Camp-I of the Broad Peak, officials announced.The ground rescue team had reached Purja’s body at an altitude of about 5700 meters along with three other climbers, which have been brought to Camp I, the Alpine Club Pakistan (ACP) announced. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)