A passionate climber, Bandaru Annapurna first started climbing nearby ghats in her native place near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh following a long dilemma over whether girls can also climb mountains which was predominantly a pursuit for boys only according to social norms at that time.
Annapurna, who works now as a teacher in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scaled the highest peak of Europe, Mount Elbrus, located in Russia on Monday. Several Telugu expatriate community members celebrated her achievement.