Gaurav, who send me this postcard, say that depicts K2, the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest, but it isn't so. As it is written on the postcard, but also how looks the peak, it's about Kangchenjunga (called by the locals Five Treasures of Snow), the third highest mountain in the world (8,586 m), located in a section of the Himalayas called Kangchenjunga Himal, on the boundary between Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim. Two of the five peaks are in Nepal, and the other three (main, central, and south) are on the border of North Sikkim and Nepal.
Assumed to be the highest mountain in the world until 1852, it was first climbed on 25 May 1955 by Joe Brown and George Band, who were part of a British expedition. It's an enormous mountain mass, and many satellite peaks rise from its narrow icy ridges. The threat of avalanches and mudslides is omnipresent in the area, which receives very heavy precipitation throughout much of the year, so its ascent is very dangerous. Since the early 20th century more then 50 mountaineers have lost their lives on it, five of them even on this year, in May (two Hungarians, two Nepalese and one Korean). The area around Kangchenjunga is said to be home to the "Kangchenjunga Demon", a type of yeti or rakshasa.
About the stamps
The first stamp is a commemorative one, issued on July 21, 2011, and dedicated to Vitthal Sakharam Page, in recognition of Shri Page’s illustrious contribution in the field of social service, culture, education & literature, economics, philosophy etc.
The last stamp, depicting Mahatma Gandhi, is part of the definitive set Builders of Modern India, which is presented here.
References
Kangchenjunga - Wikipedia
Sender: Gaurav Mishra (direct swap)
sent from Tiraha Mandla (Madhya Pradesh / India), on 04.07.2013
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