Mohan Singh Kohli | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kohli in 2015 | |
| Born | (1931-12-11)11 December 1931 |
| Died | 23 June 2025(2025-06-23) (aged 93) New Delhi, India |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch |  Indian NavyIndo-Tibetan Border Police |
| Years of service | 15 |
| Rank | _OF-5.svg) Captain |
| Awards |
|
.jpg)
CaptainMohan Singh Kohli (11 December 1931 – 23 June 2025) was anIndian Navy officer andmountaineer, who led the1965 Indian Everest Expedition, which saw nine men reach the summit ofEverest, a world record which was unbroken for 13 years.
Born and raised inHaripur, Pakistan on the banks of the Indus in theKarakoram mountains of theNorth West Frontier,[1] Kohli witnessed the massacre of over 2,000 people during thepartition of India.[2]
Beginning withSaser Kangri 7,672 m (25,171 ft) in 1956,[3] he participated in 20 major Himalayan expeditions, including India's first ascent ofNanda Kot[4] and the maiden ascent ofAnnapurna III.[5] In 1962, he spent three consecutive nights, including two without oxygen, on Everest at 8,849 m (29,032 ft) during severe blizzards.[6]
During his tenure with theIndian Navy, he incorporated adventure training. Over 15 years with theIndo-Tibetan Border Police, he developed the force into a notable mountaineering organisation.[2] Leading seven significant and sensitive missions under the guidance of officersB.N.Mullik andR.N. Kao, he worked with climbers and scientists from the US to install nuclear-powered listening devices on Indian Himalayan peaks to monitor Chinese missile capabilities.[7][1]
Upon joiningAir-India in 1971, Kohli promoted ‘Trekking in the Himalayas’ globally, making over 1,000 presentations in more than 50 countries,[1] including appearances on popular television programmes such as ‘To Tell the Truth’ and ‘David Frost Show’. On 3 December 1978, he flew over theSouth Pole.
To protect the Himalayas, he secured support from SirEdmund Hillary and other Himalayan figures, includingMaurice Herzog, SirChris Bonington,Reinhold Messner, andJunko Tabei, establishing the Himalayan Environment Trust on 14 October 1989. The trust has contributed to preserving this world heritage.[8]
In India, he also introduced Himalayan tourism, white-water rafting, aero-sports, luxury sea cruises, tourist charters toGoa, international conferences, and openedLakshadweep and theAndaman Islands to tourism.
His 14-year tenure as Vice-President/President of theIndian Mountaineering Foundation was marked by many significant developments. After retiring in 1990, he focused on the development of youth through various adventure and outdoor leadership projects.
Kohli died in New Delhi on 23 June 2025, aged 93.[2]
Kohli served as President of theIndian Mountaineering Foundation from 1989 to 1993.[9] He co-founded the Himalayan Environment Trust in 1989.[10]
Kohli received the following awards:
He also received several international recognitions.
Kohli is known for leading India's first successful Indian Everest Expedition in 1965. Nine climbers reached the summit, setting a world record which was unbroken until the1978 German-French Expedition 13 years later.[14](p477) Upon the team's return from Nepal, acting Prime MinisterGulzarilal Nanda headed the reception at the airport (Prime MinisterLal Bahadur Shastri was abroad).[15](p214)[16] The entire team were given anArjuna Award.[17] Three members, including the team leader, were awarded thePadma Bhushan and the leader and eight team members were given thePadma Shree.[11][18]
Indira Gandhi paid tribute saying: “The record of Commander Kohli's expedition will find special mention in history. It was a masterpiece of planning, organisation, teamwork, individual effort and leadership”.[15](pviii, Indira Gandhi's Foreword) She described the 1965 success as one of India's six major achievements after independence.[16]
A full-length film on the expedition, with music byShankar Jaikishan, was released across India and abroad. The story of the achievement was widely covered in national newspapers and magazines. Kohli and some team members were honoured in cities likeBrussels,Paris,Geneva, andRome.Tenzing Norgay accompanied Captain Kohli to several countries.
In addition to the Everest expedition, Captain M.S. Kohli and Tenzing Norgay climbed several European peaks, piloted byRaymond Lambert.
In India, the team was invited by Chief Ministers of various states and honoured at receptions. On 8 September 1965, Kohli addressed Members of Parliament in the Central Hall. The expedition sparked a significant increase in adventure clubs and mountaineering activities, leading to a resurgence in Indian mountaineering.[19][20][21][22][23]
Shortly after the success on Everest Kohli led a US-India mission toNanda Devi.[24] The mission was a joint operation by theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the IndianIntelligence Bureau, the objective was to place a nuclear-powered surveillance device on Nanda Devi which would be used to monitor China's nuclear program during the Cold War.[7] Kohli recruited the Indian mountaineers for the mission, they included three who had summited Everest during the successful Indian Expedition which he had led earlier that year, and were officers in theITBP (Sonam Gyatso,Harish Rawat andSonam Wangyal), others from the same Everest expedition were Gurcharan Singh Bhangu (also an officer in the ITBP) and the SherpasPhu Dorjee Sherpa,Ang Tsering. About fourteen other sherpas were recruited, includingPasang Dawa Lama, several were 'later absorbed in Indian para-military organisations'.[25]Barry Bishop recruited the American mountaineers involved, several of those had been members of the1963 American Mount Everest expedition along with Bishop.[26]
