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The bravehearts of Toong Soong
Updated On: 28 April, 2024 06:31 AM IST | Mumbai | Anusha Subramanian
Without them, mountaineering expeditions would be impossible. With a new book, two authors putting the spotlight on the Sherpa—and telling stories of unspoken dreams and everyday bravery
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The Makalu Sherpas
Nestled amidst the verdant slopes of the Himalayas is Darjeeling, a town synonymous with tea gardens. In this tranquil hill station, a story was waiting to be told, woven from the heartbeats of its most illustrious inhabitants, the Sherpa and Bhutia communities. Authors Nandini Purandare, an avid trekker; and Deepa Balsavar, a storyteller and illustrator—both of whom have known each other for over two decades—set forth on a literary expedition to chronicle a narrative long overdue. Over a decade, this duo chased stories through the winding paths of Toong Soong (a Sherpa settlement for over a century), piecing together a mosaic of valour and unspoken histories.
Their journey begun with a call from the Himalayan peaks in April 2012 when Purandare embarked on a trek to Arunachal Pradesh, and the Sherpas’ untold legacy drew her in. “Treks with Harish [Kapadia, moutaineer-author] were always filled with lots of stories and anecdotes that revealed a vibrant tapestry of Sherpa life that needed to be documented,” shares Purandare. The seed was sown, and the duo set out to unearth the stories hidden from the folds of Toong Soong.
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