The sacred dimensions of Khangchendzonga

Khangchendzonga: Sacred Summit, a work that has been deeply influential in shaping contemporary understandings of Khangchendzonga not merely as a geographical landmark, but as a living, sacred presence. The talk will explore the sacred dimensions of the mountain—how Khangchendzonga is worshipped, revered as a guardian, and embedded within local cosmologies and belief systems.

These perspectives resonate strongly with our ongoing research into early Everest and other Himalayan expeditions undertaken during the British and European imperial period. While such expeditions were often framed through narratives of conquest and discovery, this talk foregrounds parallel understandings in which mountains were perceived as sentient, sacred beings by local communities.

By offering a vital counterpoint to imperial narratives of exploration, the talk invites us to reconsider ideas of reverence, guardianship, and lived relationships with the Himalayas.

These perspectives resonate strongly with our ongoing research into early Everest and other Himalayan expeditions undertaken during the British…