Bot at 19:30, 19 December 2022

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{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = Subedar Major and Honorary Captain
| name = Chhering Norbu Bodh
| honorific_suffix = [[Shaurya Chakra|SC]]
| image =
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| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1969}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Village Chobrang, [[Lahaul and Spiti district]], [[Himachal Pradesh]], [[India]]
| death_place =
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| allegiance = {{flag|India}}
| branch = {{army|India}}
| serviceyears = 1988-2013
| rank = [[File:Subedar Major - Risaldar Major of the Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[Subedar Major]] [[File: Captain of the Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[Captain|Honorary Captain]]
| servicenumber = 3989092
| unit = [[Dogra Regiment]]
| commands =
| known_for = [[Mountaineering]]
| battles =
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| awards = [[Shaurya Chakra]] [[Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]] Gold medal of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation
| alma_mater = [[High Altitude Warfare School]]
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}}
[[File:The President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting Land Adventure Award to Sub. Chering Norbu Bodh, under Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award –2005 category, at a glittering function in New Delhi on August 29, 2006.jpg|thumb|305x305px|President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2005, under the Land Adventure category, to Sub. Chhering Norbu Bodh at a function in New Delhi on August 29, 2006. ]]
Subedar Major and Honorary Captain '''Chhering Norbu Bodh''' [[Shaurya Chakra|SC]] (retd.) (born May 1969, also known as '''CN Bodh''') is a retired personnel of the [[Indian Army]], known for his mountaineering achievements while in the army. Bodh holds a number of Indian summiting records related to [[Eight-thousander|8,000m peaks]]. Among others, he is the first Indian mountaineer to have climbed six of the fourteen 8000m peaks in the world, and the first Indian to stand atop [[Lhotse]] and [[Annapurna|Annapurna-1]].

== Personal life ==
Bodh hails from the [[Spiti|Spiti valley]], [[Himachal Pradesh]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Sengupta |first=Rudraneil |date=2012-05-04 |title=Vertical limit |url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/zuN1zWTaYTsyJze1Us4rHP/Vertical-limit.html |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=mint |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=R-Day celebrated in minus 10 degrees in Himachal town |url=https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay.aspx?newsID=667538 |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.daijiworld.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mukherjee |first=Sanjay |url=https://books.google.de/books?id=dqUBEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA276&lpg=PA276&dq=CN+Bodh+kaza&source=bl&ots=YSTsdum-b9&sig=ACfU3U2IwWy5NTaCGoFux0JiCmGlOxXE-g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj3iJiI2_v7AhWA_7sIHaS0Css4KBDoAXoECBYQAw#v=onepage&q=CN%20Bodh%20&f=false |title=The Road to Kaza - The Diary of a Winter Homestay in Spiti |date= |publisher=Mountain Walker Private Limited |year=2020 |isbn=978-81-940505-8-2 |location=Pune |pages=276-294 |language=en}}</ref> He joined the army soon after matriculating from school. He is known to be a devout [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Austa |first=Sanjay |title=C N Bodh - India's Mountain Goat |url=http://www.the-south-asian.com/april2005/CN_Bodh_India%27s_foremost_climber.htm |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.the-south-asian.com}}</ref>

== Mountaineering achievements ==

=== Successful 8000m summits ===
Bodh is known for having successfully climbed six [[Eight-thousander|8,000m peaks]] in expeditions conducted by the Indian Army:

# Mt [[Mount Everest|Everest]] (2001)<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mountaineering in Nepal - Facts and Figures |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Tourism, & Civil Aviation (Govt. of Nepal) |year=2018 |editor-last=Ghimire |editor-first=Dhanraj |location=Kathmandu |pages=38}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kohli |first=M. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xRuCAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=CN+Bodh+summit&q=CN+Bodh+summit&hl=en |title=On Top of the World: The Indian Everest Saga, 1854-2006 |date=2006 |publisher=Indus Publishing Company |isbn=978-81-7387-199-3 |pages=295 |language=en}}</ref>
# Mt [[Annapurna]] (2002)<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last= |first= |title=Mountaineering in Nepal - Facts and Figures |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Tourism, & Civil Aviation (Govt. of Nepal) |year=2018 |editor-last=Ghimire |editor-first=Dhanraj |location=Kathmandu |pages=272}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lt. Col. Sharma |first=S.C. |date=2003 |title=Indian Army Annapurna-I Expedition, 2002 |journal=The Himalayan Journal |volume=59}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 7, 2002 |title=Army Chief commends first Indian expedition to Annapurna-I |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2002/rmay2002/07052002/r0705200214.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=archive.pib.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=June 19, 2002 |title=Annapurna-I expedition flagged-in |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/archive/releases98/lyr2002/rjun2002/19062002/r190620025.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=archive.pib.gov.in}}</ref>
# Mt [[Lhotse]] (2003)<ref name=":4">{{Cite book |title=Mountaineering in Nepal - Facts and Figures |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Tourism, & Civil Aviation (Govt. of Nepal) |year=2018 |editor-last=Ghimire |editor-first=Dhanraj |location=Kathmandu |pages=172}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Col. Abbey |first=Ashok |date=2004 |title=Indian Army on Everest and Lhotse |url=https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/ |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=The Himalayan Journal (60) |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Ascent of Everest and Lhotse 2003 |url=https://www.indmount.org/IMF/staticPages.action?page=everest2003 |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Indian Mountaineering Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |last2= |last3= |first3= |date=May 13, 2003 |title=Indo-Nepalese army expedition scales Mount Lhotse {{!}} India News - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/indo-nepalese-army-expedition-scales-mount-lhotse/articleshow/46264245.cms |archive-url= |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref>
# Mt [[Kangchenjunga|Kanchenjunga]] (2004)<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mountaineering in Nepal - Facts and Figures |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Tourism, & Civil Aviation (Govt. of Nepal) |year=2018 |editor-last=Ghimire |editor-first=Dhanraj |location=Kathmandu |pages=160}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Several summit Kangchenjunga |url=https://www.everestnews2004.com/stories2004/autumnkang10102004.htm |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.everestnews2004.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Himalayan Database Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley - Ascents of Autumn 2004 |url=http://www.himalayandatabase.com/2004%20Season%20Lists/2004%20Autumn%20A10.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.himalayandatabase.com}}</ref>
# Mt [[Cho Oyu]] (2006)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Himalayan Database Expedition Archives of Elizabeth Hawley - Ascents of Spring 2006 |url=http://www.himalayandatabase.com/2006%20Season%20Lists/2006%20Spring%20A3.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.himalayandatabase.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=May 27, 2006 |title=Entire Indian Army Expedition Atop Cho Oyu |work=oneindia |url=https://www.oneindia.com/2006/05/26/entire-indian-army-expedition-atop-cho-oyu-1148715397.html}}</ref>
# Mt [[Dhaulagiri]] (2009)<ref>{{Cite book |title=Mountaineering in Nepal - Facts and Figures |publisher=Ministry of Culture, Tourism, & Civil Aviation (Govt. of Nepal) |year=2018 |editor-last=Ghimire |editor-first=Dhanraj |location=Kathmandu |pages=215}}</ref>

Bodh is the first Indian who summited three,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Prasad |first=Shankar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_Wxsgt6_0TYC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA256&dq=CN+Bodh&hl=en |title=The Gallant Dogras: An Illustrated History of the Dogra Regiment |date=2005 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-81-7062-268-0 |pages=256 |language=en}}</ref> then four,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Defence |first=India Ministry of |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UKrfAAAAMAAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&dq=CN+Bodh+summit&q=CN+Bodh+summit&hl=en |title=Annual Report |date=2004 |publisher=Ministry of Defence. |pages=40 |language=en}}</ref> then five,<ref name=":1" /> and then six 8000m summits.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Adventure/Sports - Major Achievements |url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.indianarmy.nic.in}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite journal |date=August 2009 |title=Expedition/Adventure |url=https://books.google.de/books?id=HCKXK1kt8U0C&pg=PT25&dq=CN+Bodh&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwizkN-K3fv7AhVE7rsIHQFlB6EQ6AF6BAgKEAI#v=onepage&q=CN%20Bodh&f=false |journal=Pratiyogita Darpan |volume=4 |issue=38 |pages=210}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=An Atlas of Army Adventure |publisher=Army Adventure Wing/DCOAS (IS & C) Sectt |year=2021 |pages=77}}</ref>

Bodh is the first Indian to have set foot on the summits of Annapurna-I and Lhotse.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":4" />

=== Others ===
Bodh summited Gyagar peak (6,400m) in [[Spiti]] in August 1995<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=ｲﾝﾄﾞ･ﾋﾏﾗﾔ登山年表山名順 (Indian Himalaya mountaineering chronological table in order of mountain name) |url=http://jactokai.sakura.ne.jp/shibuhp/uploads/indohimaraya/18%E5%B9%B4%E8%A1%A8.pdf |website=Japan Alpine Club}}</ref> and [[Mana Peak]] (7,273m) in 2000.<ref name=":2" /> He contributed significantly to the successful Army Women Everest Expedition in 2005.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=July 26, 2005 |title=Army Commander felicitates women’s Everest team |work=The Tribune |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050726/cth1.htm}}</ref>

== Recognition ==

=== Shaurya Chakra ===
In 2001, Bodh was awarded the [[Shaurya Chakra]], India's third highest peacetime gallantry award, for successfully summiting Mt Everest under daunting conditions on 23 May 2001. The citation for this award reads as the following:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gallantry Awards {{!}} Ministry of Defence, Government of India |url=https://www.gallantryawards.gov.in/awardee/439 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=www.gallantryawards.gov.in}}</ref>

{{Reduced pull quote|width=|quote={{center|'''3989092 LANCE NAIK CHHERING NORBU BODH, DOGRA''' 
'''(Effective date of the Award 23rd May, 2001)''' }}
Lance Naik Chhering Norbu Bodh was selected as a member of the Indian Army Everest Expedition 2001. On 23 May 2001, he was part of the second summit team attempting to summit Everest, after having spent two nights at camp – III (26000 ft). However, blizzards forced them to turn back from 27,000ft. Though exhausted by the effort, he refused to accept defeat. On 23 May 2001, at 2200 hours, he commenced his attempt. Re-entering the Death Zone on Everest above 26,000ft at night required every ounce of physical and mental strength apart from conspicuous courage. He soon started losing strength due to cold, strong winds, poor snow conditions and lack of oxygen. But he continued doggedly and at the same time kept encouraging his team-mates. At Hillary Step he was thoroughly exhausted but in a superhuman effort, he marshalled his remaining energy and clawed his way up the dangerous precipice of rock covered with verglas. His mind fought against loss of energy, numbness in fingers and toes and lack of oxygen but he made it through the step. Then with very little left in him except his mental strength and determination, he willed his body to move. Through this great effort he kept helping and encouraging his team-mates. He finally reached the summit to bring glory to the team and the Army.

Lance Naik Chhering Norbu Bodh displayed undaunted determination and conspicuous courage in the face of extreme elements.|author=|source=}}

=== Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award ===
On 29 August 2006, Bodh was awarded the [[Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]], the highest adventure sports honor bestowed by the [[Government of India]], for the year 2005 in the Land Adventure category. This award recognized Bodh for the whole span of his achievements in mountaineering till then.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Press Information Bureau |url=https://archive.pib.gov.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=20213 |access-date=2022-10-10 |website=archive.pib.gov.in}}</ref>

=== Others ===
Bodh received COAS (Chief of the Army Staff) Commendation Cards on Army Days in 2008<ref>{{Cite web |date=2008 |title=List of personnel recommended for COAS commendation cards on Army Day PDF Free Download |url=https://docplayer.net/102298243-List-of-personnel-recommended-for-coas-commendation-cards-on-army-day-2008.html |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=docplayer.net}}</ref> and 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of Personnel awarded COAS Commendation Cards on the occasion of Army Day 2010 |url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=www.indianarmy.nic.in}}</ref>

Bodh, a [[Junior commissioned officer|JCO]] in the Indian army, was made an Honorary Captain while approaching retirement, on account of his distinguished career.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Menon |first=Shyam G. |date=2015-08-14 |title=A school teacher in Kaza |url=https://shyamgopan.com/2015/08/14/a-school-teacher-in-kaza/ |access-date=2022-12-16 |website=Outrigger |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 15, 2001 |title=Unstarred question No. 2717: Honorary Ranks to Defence Personnel |url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/403383/1/20435.pdf |website=Govt. of India, Defence, Lok Sabha}}</ref>

Bodh was regarded among India's best mountaineers in the years when he was climbing 8,000m peaks.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-03-01 |title=Kanchenjunga Expedition- The preparations/ Delhi/ Siliguri/ Darjeeling . |url=https://sanjayausta.com/kanchenjunga-expedition-the-preparations-delhi-siliguri/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Sanjay Austa |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-06-19 |title=To the top of the world and back |url=https://www.mid-day.com/news/india-news/article/to-the-top-of-the-world-and-back-49059 |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Mid-day |language=en}}</ref>

Bodh is an 'Individual Member' of the [[Indian Mountaineering Foundation]] (IMF), the [[Government of India]]'s apex mountaineering body.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IMF MEMBERSHIP |url=https://www.indmount.org/IMF/member}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=LIST OF MEMBERS |url=https://www.indmount.org/IMF/staticPages.action?page=ListofMembers}}</ref>

== References ==
<references />{{Indian mountaineers}}
[[Category:Indian mountain climbers]]
[[Category:People from Lahaul and Spiti district]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Shaurya Chakra]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]]
[[Category:Indian summiters of Mount Everest]]
[[Category:Mountain climbers from Himachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:Recipients of Indian Mountaineering Foundation's Gold Medal]]
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Chhering Norbu Bodh - Revision history

Bot at 19:30, 19 December 2022