Imphal: Making history for Manipur and the entire Northeast, Ningthoujam Bidyapati Devi successfully scaled Mount Everest in 2013 as part of the First North East India Mount Everest Expedition. She is the first woman mountaineer from Manipur to conquer the world’s highest peak, standing at 29,029 feet.

Bidyapati, daughter of Kokngang and Bormani from Mongjam Maning Leikai under Heingang Police Station, reached the summit at 9.30 am (IST) on that day. With this achievement, she became the second mountaineer from Manipur to scale Everest, following Nongmaithem Suresh who reached the peak in 2010.

The expedition, flagged off from the historic Kangla by Manipur Governor Gurbachan Jagat on February 25, 2013, and later by President of India Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on March 20, 2013, marked a proud moment for the entire region.

Three climbers from the team reached the summit on that day. Anand Gurung from Sikkim was the first, summiting at 7.35 am, followed by Nima Lama from Arunachal Pradesh at 8.30 am, and finally Bidyapati Devi at 9.30 am.

With this, the Northeast has firmly registered its place in the world of mountaineering, joining the league of the finest climbers across the globe.