Kathmandu, Aug 26: The funeral of renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja, widely known as “Nimsdai,” will be held today in Dorset, UK, following his death during an expedition on Broad Peak in Pakistan. The private ceremony will be attended only by family members and close relatives.
Purja’s elder brother, Kamal Bahadur Purja, said in a statement on Tuesday that attendance would be strictly limited because of the venue’s capacity, security arrangements, the family’s need for privacy and adverse weather conditions.
Only people who registered in advance will be allowed to attend the funeral. The family has also asked elderly people and young children to avoid attending the ceremony.
A separate public memorial service will be organised after the funeral. It will allow Purja’s friends, colleagues, members of the Nepali community and people from the international mountaineering fraternity to pay their respects and remember his contribution to the sport.
Purja, 43, was among six Nepali climbers who died in an accident on July 30 while attempting to climb Broad Peak, an 8,047-metre peak in Pakistan’s Karakoram range. The accident brought an abrupt end to the career of one of Nepal’s best-known mountaineers, whose achievements had earned him international recognition.
Born in Myagdi, Purja served in the British Army’s elite Gurkha and Special Boat Service units before turning fully to high-altitude mountaineering. He became globally recognised after climbing all 14 mountains above 8,000 metres in just over six months in 2019, a record-breaking feat that brought him international attention.
His Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible,” further raised his profile and introduced his story to a global audience. He became known not only for his climbing achievements but also for his efforts to promote Nepal’s mountaineering industry and the role of Nepali climbers in high-altitude expeditions.
His death has deeply affected Nepal’s mountaineering community. Purja was regarded as a prominent figure who helped challenge the traditional narrative around Himalayan climbing, particularly the tendency to overlook the contribution of Nepali climbers despite their central role in expeditions.
The public memorial planned after the funeral is expected to draw a wider gathering of climbers, supporters and members of the Nepali community in the UK, offering them an opportunity for a final public farewell to Nimsdai.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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