George Everest House to showcase his Theodolite and baseline bars

Dehradun: Uttarakhand Tourism Department Board (UTDB) would bring alive the vivid memories of legendary George Everest — who headed the Great Trigonometry Survey (GTS) of India during the British era — whose colonial styled mansion on the outskirts of Mussoorie is getting revamped for tourists who would be able to see replica of his surveying instruments like Theodolite and old gadgets used to map the Great Arc.

Speaking with the Millennium Post, tourism secretary, Dilip Jawalkar, shared the plan for revamping the house of George Everest at Hathipaon and the roadmap of setting up a museum having collection of instruments, survey equipment and an audio video introductory programme on the contribution and life of the legendary surveyor.

"The Everest House has the potential to be developed as an international tourist destination so we are planning to build a gallery and museum on the lines of international style where the visitors are given an opportunity to know more about the fascinating history of the place," said the tourism secretary.

After the death of William Lambton who was the main brain behind the mapping of the Great Arc, Everest in 1830 had joined as the GTS superintendent and brought numerous changes both in instrument design and methodologies adopted to complete the meridional arc from Cape Comorin to the misty

Himalayas.

For procuring the surveying instruments the tourism department is in talks with the Survey of India office in Dehradun. "We would get instruments like Theodolites, baseline bars that were used by Everest when he worked in Dehradun. We would get replicas of these instruments that would be showcased for tourists at the mansion he lived," said Jawalkar.

The grand Everest House is a must visit item for all Mussoorie tourists to have a look at the house and the picturesque view it offers.

The site can be developed for adventure tourism like balloon rides but the tourism department is now focusing on redoing the venue but adding historical elements. Everest was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1827 and was knighted in 1861 and the world highest peak was named after him.