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Which Is the Highest Peak in India?

Kangchenjunga (8,586 m / 28,169 ft) is the highest peak in India. It stands on the border between Sikkim (India) and Nepal, and is the third highest mountain in the world. For standard school and competitive exam purposes, Kangchenjunga is the accepted answer for the highest peak in India. Nanda Devi (7,816 m), located in Uttarakhand, is the highest peak located entirely within Indian territory.

Question (Click to Flip)

Which is the highest peak in India?

Answer

Kangchenjunga (8,586 m / 28,169 ft) is the highest peak in India, located on the border between Sikkim (India) and Nepal. It is the third highest mountain in the world. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand is the highest peak located entirely within India.

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Key Facts

Highest peak in India: Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) — on the Sikkim-Nepal border.

Third highest mountain in the world (after Everest: 8,849 m and K2: 8,611 m).

Kangchenjunga means 'Five Treasures of Snow' (it has five summits).

First ascent: 25 May 1955 by George Band and Joe Brown.

Highest peak entirely within India: Nanda Devi (7,816 m), Uttarakhand.

K2 (8,611 m) is in Pakistan-administered Kashmir — not counted as India's highest peak for exams.

Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kamet (7,756 m), Uttarakhand, is the third highest peak in India.

Kangchenjunga — Highest Peak in India

Key facts about Kangchenjunga:

• Height: 8,586 m (28,169 ft) • Location: On the border of Sikkim (India) and Nepal • World rank: 3rd highest mountain in the world (after Everest and K2) • Name meaning: 'Five Treasures of Snow' in Tibetan/Nepali (referring to its five peaks, each with a summit) • First ascent: 25 May 1955 by George Band and Joe Brown (British expedition) • The summit was left unstepped (unclimbed) by the first team as a mark of respect to the local belief that the mountain is sacred

The five summits of Kangchenjunga:

  1. Main summit: 8,586 m
  2. West summit (Yalung Kang): 8,505 m
  3. Central summit: 8,482 m
  4. South summit: 8,476 m
  5. Kangbachen (Zemu Gap Peak): 7,903 m

State: Sikkim (India) — also shared with Nepal Biosphere: The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area is a protected zone.

Nanda Devi — Highest Peak Entirely in India

Key facts about Nanda Devi:

• Height: 7,816 m (25,643 ft) • Location: Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, India • Entirely within India (unlike Kangchenjunga which is on the border) • Second highest mountain in India (after Kangchenjunga) • UNESCO World Heritage Site: Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (declared in 1988) • First ascent: 1936 by Noel Odell and H.W. Tilman (British team) • Climbing restricted since 1982 due to environmental concerns

Name meaning: Nanda Devi is a goddess in Hinduism — the presiding deity of Uttarakhand.

Note on K2: • K2: 8,611 m — world's second highest peak • Located in the Karakoram range in Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan-administered Kashmir) • India claims the region, but K2 is not under Indian administration — not counted as highest peak in India for exam purposes

Top 10 Highest Peaks in India

Rank | Peak | Height (m) | State/Location 1 | Kangchenjunga | 8,586 | Sikkim-Nepal border 2 | Nanda Devi | 7,816 | Uttarakhand 3 | Kamet | 7,756 | Uttarakhand 4 | Saltoro Kangri | 7,742 | Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh) 5 | Saser Kangri I | 7,672 | Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh) 6 | Mamostong Kangri | 7,516 | Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh) 7 | Rimo I | 7,385 | Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh) 8 | Hardeol | 7,151 | Uttarakhand 9 | Chaukhamba I | 7,138 | Uttarakhand 10 | Trisul I | 7,120 | Uttarakhand

Note: Peaks 4–7 are in the Karakoram range in Ladakh (J&K); peaks 2, 3, 8–10 are in the Himalayas in Uttarakhand.

Questions and Answers

Which is the highest peak in India?+

Kangchenjunga (8,586 m / 28,169 ft) is the highest peak in India, located on the border between Sikkim (India) and Nepal. It is the third highest mountain in the world. Nanda Devi (7,816 m) in Uttarakhand is the highest peak located entirely within India.

What is the height of Kangchenjunga?+

Kangchenjunga's height is 8,586 metres (28,169 feet). It is the third highest mountain in the world, after Mount Everest (8,849 m) and K2 (8,611 m).

Which is the highest peak entirely within India?+

Nanda Devi (7,816 m / 25,643 ft) in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, is the highest peak located entirely within India. Kangchenjunga is on the India-Nepal border.

Why is K2 not considered the highest peak in India?+

K2 (8,611 m), the world's second highest mountain, is located in Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. India claims the region diplomatically, but K2 is not under Indian administration or control. Therefore, for standard exam purposes, K2 is not counted as India's highest peak. Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) on the Sikkim-Nepal border is the accepted answer.

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