RADHANATH SIKDAR: THE GREAT MATHEMATICIAN WHO MEASURED THE ELEVATION OF MOUNT EVEREST

Mount Everest is the tallest in the world and was named after an English officer, Sir George Everest. This thing has been told to us since childhood. But have you ever heard Radhanath Sikdar? Even today, we have been reading only that history which the British had written. Therefore, we forget those great Indians whose contributions have been very important. Till date neither we have been taught about them in School nor their name is related to Mount Everest on Google. On the other hand, Sir George Everest, after whom it is named, has neither ever seen it clearly nor has he measured its height.

Radhanath Sikdar is one of the few lesser known personalities of India who did not get place in history of Everest. In the early nineteenth century, the British started a project to map India. Due to this project, George Everest came to India to become Surveyor General of India. He was in search of a great mathematician and then someone told him about a young man from Kolkata who surprised everyone with his ability. Radhanath Sikdar was then placed on the computer. After his retirement, Andrew Scott Waugh became Surveyor General of India in his place in 1843. He gave Radhanath the task of measuring the height of the smallest mountain known as “peak XV” at that time. After this, Sikdar started working with vigourand after a lot of hard work, he figured the height of this peak. It was not announced immediately because he wanted to ensure his calculation were accurate before telling everyone. He said that this peak is the highest of all known peaks around the world and its height is 29002 feet. Earlier Kanchenjunga was considered the highest peak. If India was free at that time, these hard-working and talented Indians would be famous today.

At that time, no one could do anything due to the rule of the British, but even today, we Indians are letting the name of our other talented personalities go in vain. We have to make our children and the coming generation aware of the merits and contributions of these great Indians.

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