Sir Edmund Hillary, who first scaled Mount Everest died in Auckland at the age of 88 on 11 January, 2008.The death sent shockwaves around the world. Sir Edmund Hillary was a great adventurer, explorer and philanthropist throughout his life. Sir Edmund Hillary and Lady June Hillary with their family members have visited in April 2007 and has held meeting with the Himalayan Trust Advisory Committee members in Kathmandu.
Condolences have poured to his wife, Lady June Hillary as well as to the Himalayan Trust Office in Kathmandu from all over the world. Memorial services on the death of Sir Edmund Hillary were held in many places, specially in the schools, monasteries in Solukhumbu district where Sir Edmund Hillary dedicated his life building schools, hospitals, health clinics and other development activities.
The New Zealand Government organized the State Funeral for Sir Edmund Hillary on 22 January, 2008. The State Funeral was attended by dignitaries and representatives from all over the world. Crowds gathered along the route to show their respect for Sir Edmund Hillary. They were in their thousands as the funeral cortege slowly passed from Holy Trinity Cathedral through various streets of Auckland. Some dabbed their eyes and others threw white roses at the hearse as Sir Edmund Hillary made his final journey through Auckland Streets.
In Kathmandu, various Sherpa Associations organized a very heart touching memorial service attended by Sherpas in thousands to pay their respect to Sir Edmund Hillary whom they revered as their true guardian. At Tengboche Monastery, just beneath Mount Everest and in Thami Monastery special prayers were held by the entire monks with hundreds of butter lamps for the eternal peace and for reincarnation of Sir Edmund Hillary in a good life. Students in many schools in Solukhumbu organized memorial services and huge number of Sherpas visited sacred places to burn butter lamps in the name of Sir Edmund Hillary.
The Nepalese Government decided to name the Lukla airport which was built by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1964 as “Tenzing-Hillary airport” to recognize the contribution by these two heroic mountaineers. Similarly, the trekking route beyond Lukla up to Mount Everest Base Camp is also named as “ Tenzing-Hillary trekking route”.
Some ashes of Sir Edmund Hillary is brought to Nepal. The ashes will be mixed with clay and the clay mould will be used to cast hundreds of Budha statues which all will be enshrined into a special Chorten ( Stupa ) to be built in memory of Sir Edmund Hillary on one of the hill tops in the eastern part of Khumjung from where you can see all the surrounding peaks including Mount Everest. The location of this memorial chorten or stupa is accessible by all visitors in the Everest region from 2009.
29 February,2008 is the 49th day after the death of Sir Edmund Hillary and this day is regarded as most important final day of the departed soul in the Budhist belief. Therefore, a special puza will be held in one of the sacred monasteries in Kathmandu to pray for a smooth path to walk for Sir Edmund Hillary on his way to the heaven where he will be reincarnated into the best possible living being. Coincidently, the ashes of Sir Edmund Hillary on the same day is being spread in the sea of Auckland harbor as wished by Sir Edmund Hillary.
Though Sir Edmund Hillary is physically no more with us, but his will, his courage and determination will always remained with us as inspiration and guidance for our future. The legacy of his work in Nepal will be continued as before. Lady June Hillary is committed to continue the mission of her husband and all the supporters of the Himalayan Trust including the government of New Zealand have pledged their full support in future. As Sir Edmund Hillary always said that the biggest respect to him is to support the work of the Himalayan Trust to continue many years in future. |
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