05th September, 2022

Author: Preeti Sharma (Content Writer)

Bhoj Nagar, a village in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh that has appreciated the prideful mountaineer with open arms, celebrating her successes in the magnificent and grandest way possible. Megha Parmar has made her parents to be truly proud of their daughter for accomplishing an amazing feat and making the vision a reality. Megha Parmar has always focused in creating awareness since childhood. At the age of 23, Megha read in newspaper that 2 boys from M.P who climbed mount Everest summit. Born in a farmer family on 18th November 1994; Megha never leave things half-finished, and it is this vigor that propelled her to the summit of Mount Everest. She began as an NCC cadet and then climbed Mount Ladakh, then so many pre-Everest peaks.

The journey of a mountaineer is challenging, and it is even more complicated when you are a woman. In her initial phase of journey the people of Bhoj Nagar were very rigid of her unfaltering devotion for mountain climbing. Villagers in her neighborhood would frequently mock her family members for allowing her to spend several days away from home on mountaineering excursions and made disparaging comments about her unusual mountaineering style of living of pitching tents and trekking with anonymous people. Despite these setbacks, her family continued to remain by her side. Her father recommended her to always think prior to acting since the repercussions would be realized by her family, for better or for the worse. With this thought in mind, she experienced she could accomplish any mountain in the world. Megha Parmar told The HULAHUL Times her entire story in an exclusive interview.

But she had no idea that the first obstacle she would face before embarking on her expedition to Mt Everest was a sponsorship fee of 25 lakhs; which was huge amount for her but as they say, if there's a will, there is a way, and Megha father chose to believe in his daughter's ambitions. So he sold his property, solicited donations from Bhoj Nagar villagers, and assisted her to pursuit the summit to Mount Everest. Unfortunately, she was unable to summit Mt. Everest in 2018, and her aspirations remained incomplete. Megha learnt from this and strive to achieve the aim again. Megha Parmar was prepared to scale Mt Everest after many restless nights, insane hours of practice, boundless dedication, and an endorsement of 15 lakhs from the Madhya Pradesh Government and perhaps other sponsors.

On the day of 22nd May, 2019, along with 220 climbers she started the summit, in a lethal heavy traffic near Mt Everest's danger zone. The danger zone, which has very low oxygen levels and sub-zero temperatures, is at a height of 26,000 to 29,000 feet. Despite the adverse conditions, Megha Parmar set a record by reaching the summit of Mt Everest at 5 a.m. on May 22, 2019. As she hoisted the Indian flag on the peak of the world, it felt peculiar influential energy from the tallest altitude in the world, which was an indefinable.

But she didn't let her joy overpower the critical task of descending the mountain, recalling her coach's great advice, "It's not hard to ascend Mt Everest, but it's far trickier to move down." The ascend part of summit was quite challenging for Megha due to massive traffic jam at Mount Everest death zone and she had to be on same location for almost 3 hours ;here due to over exposure of sun, she lost her sight. Megha lost her eyewear too during this difficult time, resulting in intense eye damage. Megha was also running low on oxygen cylinders and was too sick to ascend down slope. Due to which she had to spent night at the death zone for 30 hours along with her Sherpa where the survival is impossible for any mountaineer for more than 4 hours.

The cold weather and a lack of oxygen on Mt Everest made a true struggle. Her Sherpa was also concerned for her and kept checking to see if she was still alive. At that instant, she realized the importance of oxygen and pledged that if she survived, she would plant more trees and contribute to the world's oxygen system. Megha was hospitalized in Kathmandu for several days after her descent from Mt. Everest due to her poor health and after proper recovery; she brought back to her village of Bhoj Nagar as the first woman from Madhya Pradesh to ascend Mt. Everest. Megha accomplishments initiated opportunity for each girl in Madhya Pradesh's Bhoj Nagar village. A village where women in families were not given adequate recreational and academic opportunities has now converted into a village that recognizes women's potentials and efforts.

After overcoming the world's highest mountain, she ended up going deep into the water and gestured the Indian flag. Megha Parmar was the first woman in the world to do so. Megha Parmar, became a global leader in 2019 when she climbed Mount Everest, Megha became the first woman in the state after establishing this phenomenal record. Megha has become the first woman in history to set the world record in scuba diving while also climbing Mount Everest. There are technical divers from India, but women are in a worse position. Her coach came from Argentina and for 1.5 years. The most complicated part was passing the technical scuba exam. Megha is the Madhya Pradesh brand ambassador for the government's "Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao" movement.

Megha Parmar's voyage to the summit of Mt. Everest gave her crucial life lessons; she conveys to all women that choose your freedom sensibly and must set your objectives and work tirelessly to achieve them.