SSC
The highest mountain peak located entirely in Uttarakhand is:
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Answer: Option A — Nanda Devi
Detailed Solution
Nanda Devi (7,816 metres) is the highest mountain in Uttarakhand and the second-highest mountain in India (after Kangchenjunga, which India shares with Nepal). It is the highest peak that lies entirely within India.
About Nanda Devi:
- It is located in the Chamoli district of the Garhwal region, in the Kumaon-Garhwal Himalayas.
- It is named after the goddess Nanda Devi, the patron goddess of the Garhwal and Kumaon regions; the name means "Bliss-Giving Goddess".
- It has two peaks, the main (western) summit and Nanda Devi East (7,434 m), connected by a ridge.
It is surrounded by a ring of high peaks, forming the "Nanda Devi Sanctuary", which is very difficult to enter. The only route into the inner sanctuary is through the Rishi Ganga gorge.
Before Kangchenjunga became part of India (after Sikkim joined India in 1975), Nanda Devi was the highest mountain in India.
Climbing history:
It was first climbed in 1936 by H. W. Tilman (British) and Noel Odell (American), as part of a British-American expedition. It was the highest peak climbed until 1950.
In 1965, a joint India-US mission secretly placed a nuclear-powered device on the mountain to spy on Chinese nuclear tests. The device was lost in an avalanche and was never found.
The peak has been closed to climbing since 1983 to protect its environment.
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve:
- The Nanda Devi National Park (1982) and the Valley of Flowers National Park together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1988; extended in 2005).
- The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (1988) is part of UNESCO's World Network of Biosphere Reserves (2004).
- Its wildlife includes the snow leopard, Himalayan musk deer, bharal (blue sheep) and Himalayan tahr.
- The "Chipko Movement" started in the nearby Chamoli district in 1973.
- The Rishi Ganga flash flood (February 2021) originated in the Nanda Devi region.
Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra:
It is a pilgrimage in honour of the goddess Nanda Devi, held about once every 12 years in Uttarakhand; it covers about 280 km.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Kamet (7,756 m) is the second-highest peak in the Garhwal region.
- ✗Trishul (7,120 m) is another high peak near Nanda Devi.
- ✗Badrinath is a pilgrimage town (and there is also a lower Badrinath peak).
Quick tip
Remember: highest peak of Uttarakhand = Nanda Devi (7,816 m; Chamoli; second-highest in India and highest entirely in India; first climbed 1936; Nanda Devi National Park with Valley of Flowers = UNESCO).
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Physical Features of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Physical Features of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's location and extent, its neighbours and boundary lines, and its physiographic divisions: the Himalayas, the Northern Plains, the Peninsular Plateau, the Indian Desert, the coastal plains and the islands, along with important mountain passes, peaks and hill ranges. Questions often ask which states the Tropic of Cancer passes through, the southernmost point of India (Indira Point), the highest peak in India (Kangchenjunga), and which pass connects which regions. India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh. Learning the Himalayan ranges from north to south (Himadri, Himachal and Shiwaliks) is also useful. Practise the physical features of India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.