Bhubaneswar: Rahul Pradhan has made Odisha and Kalahandi proud with a remarkable achievement in mountaineering.
As India celebrated its 78th Independence Day on August 15, the 27-year-old Rahul, from Deypur village in Bhawanipatna, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania, on the same day.
What stood out in his conquest of Africa’s tallest peak (5,895 metres) was that he did it in a record time of 15 hours and 53 minutes.
Climbers usually take around 5 days to ascend Kilimanjaro. Rahul not only did so in much less time, he braved the challenge of a night ascent, proudly hoisting the Tricolour at the summit on Independence Day.
Rahul, the son of Byashadev and Arati Pradhan, had last year conquered Europe’s highest peak, Mount Elbrus, in 22 hours — also on Independence Day.
Rahul’s remarkable journey from a small village in Kalahandi to the roof of Africa is not just a personal victory, but an inspiration for the youth of India.
He is hoping to scale more boundaries with support and encouragement from the Odisha government, Central government and corporate sector.
