The Hindu : Edmund Hillary coming on two-day visit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 18, 2003

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Edmund Hillary coming on two-day visit

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI MAY 17 .The golden jubilee of the ascent of mankind to the world's highest peak will be celebrated here through a number of functions that will witness the participation of Sir Edmund Hillary, who along with Tenzing Norgay scaled Mount Everest for the first time on May 29, 1953.

The legendary New Zealander will pay a two-day visit to India starting May 20 at the invitation of the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports. Along with the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, he will unveil the plaques of the road outside the New Zealand High Commission declaring the change of the name to his own. Sir Edmund will also officially rename the adjoining road after Tenzing Norgay.

During the celebrations, he will also view an exhibition celebrating the art and culture of the people of the Himalayas organised by the Ministry of Tourism at Hotel Ashok and inaugurate an exhibition at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation on Indian mountaineering teams' ascents of Everest.

The main event will be held at Vigyan Bhawan and will be attended by Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee. It has been planned by the Government of India in conjunction with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

On Sir Edmund's visit, the New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Caroline McDonald, noted that he "occupies a very important place in the New Zealand-India relationship'' and recalled how "his association with India stretches back a long time both as a mountaineer and as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India from 1985 to 1989.''

Stating that "Sir Edmund Hillary brings with him the best that New Zealand has to offer -- a spirit of adventure, creativity, innovation and the will to give things a go'', she pointed out how "in 1977, in a New Zealand jet boat, he (had also) participated in the legendary ocean to sky trip to the source of the Ganges.''

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