Malavath Purna (also spelled Poorna Malavath) is an Indian mountaineer from Telangana who became the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest. She reached the summit from the Tibet side at 06:15 on 25 May 2014, aged 13 years and 11 months, and in June 2022 she completed the Seven Summits by climbing Denali in Alaska.
Her story became a symbol of what children from poor and tribal communities can do with the right support. It was made into the 2017 Hindi film Poorna, directed by Rahul Bose. Here is the full story, checked against expedition records and news reports.
Malavath Purna: key facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Malavath Purna (Poorna Malavath) |
| Born | 10 June 2000, Pakala village, Sirikonda mandal, Nizamabad district, Telangana, India |
| Parents | Devidas and Lakshmi, farm labourers |
| Community | Lambada (Banjara) tribal community |
| Everest summit | 25 May 2014, 06:15, via the North Col and Northeast Ridge (Tibet) |
| Age on Everest | 13 years, 11 months |
| Record | Youngest female to summit Everest |
| Expedition leader | Shekhar Babu Bachinepally |
| Climbing partner | Sadhanapalli Anand Kumar, a teenager from Telangana |
| Seven Summits | Completed 5 June 2022 on Denali, aged 21 |
| Film | Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017), directed by Rahul Bose |
| Book | Poorna, a biography by Aparna Thota |
Early life in Pakala
Purna was born in 2000 in Pakala, a small village in Nizamabad district, now in Telangana. Her parents, Devidas and Lakshmi, worked as agricultural labourers, and the family belongs to the Lambada tribal community. Money was tight.
At about ten, her father encouraged her to join a residential school run by what is now the Telangana Social Welfare Residential Educational Institutions Society (TSWREIS). These schools offer free boarding education to children from Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families. That decision shaped the rest of her life.
How she was chosen: Operation Everest
The society’s secretary at the time, IPS officer Dr R. S. Praveen Kumar, wanted to show that children from welfare schools could compete with anyone. He backed a programme to introduce students to rock climbing and mountaineering, which became known as Operation Everest.
Purna was spotted at a rock-climbing camp at Bhongir, near Hyderabad, where students were trained by Shekhar Babu Bachinepally and Transcend Adventures. A group of students was then sent for training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, the school Tenzing Norgay helped found in 1954.
Purna and Anand Kumar earned an “A” grade after climbing Mount Renock in the Kanchenjunga region, then trained further in Ladakh in winter. They were the two students selected for Everest.
The 2014 Everest climb
Why she climbed from Tibet
Nepal does not grant Everest permits to anyone under 16, so the team went to the north side in Tibet. China had brought in a minimum age of 18 in 2010, but the team was given permits regardless. Sources do not explain the exception. The 2014 spring season on the Nepal side had also effectively ended after an avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall on 18 April killed 16 Nepali mountain workers.
The team
According to the Himalayan Database, the expedition was led by Shekhar Babu Bachinepally, with logistics by Transcend Adventures and a Kathmandu agency. It included four Indian climbers (Purna, Anand Kumar, Surabhi Chavda and Kishor Dhankude) and six Sherpa climbers. The team reached base camp on 15 April 2014, and the whole expedition lasted about 52 days.
Route and summit day
They followed the North Col and Northeast Ridge route, with camps from base camp at about 5,300 m up to a top camp at about 8,300 m. Like nearly all Everest climbers, they used supplementary oxygen. Purna has spoken about struggling with the cold and the altitude on the way up.
On 25 May 2014 Purna reached the summit at 06:15, the first of her team to get there. Anand Kumar followed at 07:43. She stayed only a few minutes before heading back down to the top camp.
At 13 years and 11 months, she became the youngest female to climb Everest, beating Ming Kipa Sherpa of Nepal, who was reported to be 15 in 2003. Only Jordan Romero, who climbed at 13 years and 10 months in 2010, has climbed it younger.
Youngest Everest climbers compared
| Climber | Country | Year | Age | Side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Romero | USA | 2010 | 13 years, 10 months | Tibet |
| Malavath Purna | India | 2014 | 13 years, 11 months | Tibet |
| Ming Kipa Sherpa | Nepal | 2003 | Reported 15 | Tibet |
| Temba Tsheri Sherpa | Nepal | 2001 | 16 | Tibet |
With age limits now at 16 in Nepal and 18 in China, these records are unlikely to fall. For more Everest records and statistics, see our Mount Everest facts page.
Malavath Purna’s Seven Summits
After Everest, Purna set out to climb the highest peak on every continent. She completed the challenge eight years later.
| Date | Mountain | Continent | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 2014 | Everest | Asia | 8,849 m |
| Between 2016 and 2019 | Kilimanjaro | Africa | 5,895 m |
| 27 July 2017 | Elbrus | Europe | 5,642 m |
| Between 2016 and 2019 | Aconcagua | South America | 6,961 m |
| Between 2016 and 2019 | Carstensz Pyramid | Oceania | 4,884 m |
| 26 December 2019 | Vinson Massif | Antarctica | 4,892 m |
| 5 June 2022 | Denali | North America | 6,190 m |
We have not found reliably published dates for her Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and Carstensz climbs, so we give the range rather than guess. She climbed Vinson during the winter break of her exchange year in the United States. A 2020 attempt on Denali was cancelled, and she finally reached the top on 5 June 2022.
Her list uses Carstensz Pyramid for Oceania. We have not found a report of her climbing Australia’s Kosciuszko, which some versions of the list use instead.
Education
Purna stayed in education throughout her climbing. She finished school with TSWREIS and, in 2019–20, spent a year at Minnesota State University, Mankato, in the United States. In 2022 she was reported to be studying for a postgraduate degree at Osmania University in Hyderabad. She has often said she wants to work for the empowerment of girls and women, and some reports say she hopes to join the Indian Police Service.
The film Poorna (2017)
Poorna: Courage Has No Limit is a Hindi biographical film directed and produced by Rahul Bose, who also plays Dr R. S. Praveen Kumar. Aditi Inamdar plays Purna. It premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January 2017 and was released in India on 31 March 2017.
The film focuses on her childhood, the welfare-school system and her selection for Everest, as well as the climb itself. If you are searching for the film, note that there is also an unrelated Malayalam actress called Poorna.
Awards and recognition
- Met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after her Everest climb in 2014.
- Cash prize and land promised by the Telangana government in 2014; a 2016 report said the land had not yet been handed over.
- Listed in Forbes India’s Self-Made Women list in 2020.
Her climb also had an effect at home. Reports credit her with inspiring more girls from rural and tribal areas to apply to welfare schools.
What is Malavath Purna doing now?
Since finishing the Seven Summits in 2022, Purna has worked as a motivational speaker, appearing at conferences, literature festivals and TEDx events. We have not found reliable recent reporting of a specific job title or new expedition, so we do not list one.
Following in her footsteps in Nepal
You do not need to climb Everest to see it. The trek to Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side takes about 12 to 14 days, reaches 5,364 m and needs no climbing permit or minimum age. On the way you pass Tenzing Norgay’s memorial at Namche Bazaar and get views of the mountain from Kala Patthar.
Altitude is the main challenge, so read our guide to altitude sickness on Everest and our advice on how to train for Everest Base Camp before you go. Inspired by other Everest pioneers? Read about Lhakpa Sherpa, who holds the women’s record for Everest summits.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Malavath Purna?
She is an Indian mountaineer from Telangana who became the youngest girl to climb Mount Everest, reaching the summit on 25 May 2014 aged 13 years and 11 months. She completed the Seven Summits in 2022.
When did Malavath Purna climb Mount Everest?
She reached the summit at 06:15 on 25 May 2014, climbing from the Tibet side via the North Col and Northeast Ridge.
How old was Poorna when she climbed Everest?
She was 13 years and 11 months old. She was born on 10 June 2000 and summited on 25 May 2014.
Why did Malavath Purna climb from the Tibet side?
Nepal does not issue Everest permits to anyone under 16, so her team climbed from Tibet. China had brought in an 18-year minimum in 2010, but the team was granted permits anyway.
Who climbed Everest with Malavath Purna?
Sadhanapalli Anand Kumar, another Telangana welfare-school student, summited about 90 minutes after her. The expedition was led by Shekhar Babu Bachinepally and supported by six Sherpa climbers.
Has Malavath Purna completed the Seven Summits?
Yes. She completed them on 5 June 2022 by climbing Denali in Alaska, following Everest, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid and Vinson Massif.
Who played Poorna in the film?
Aditi Inamdar played Purna in Poorna: Courage Has No Limit (2017). Rahul Bose directed the film and played her mentor, Dr R. S. Praveen Kumar.
Is Malavath Purna the youngest person to climb Everest?
She is the youngest female. The youngest person overall is Jordan Romero of the United States, who summited in 2010 aged 13 years and 10 months, about a month younger than Purna was.
