Mountaineers Binita Soren and Meghlal Mahto receive a warm and musical welcome at Tatanagar station on Tuesday. Pictures by Bhola Prasad

After rising to the world’s loftiest challenge, it was time for some homely shoulder prop. And their faces said they cherished the latter no less.

Everest heroes Meghlal Mahto and Binita Soren reached Tatanagar on Tuesday morning — 17 days after their May 26 conquest — to a rousing welcome replete with Johar greetings, traditional music, garland and sweets, not to mention kisses and hugs showered by near and dear ones.

While Binita and Meghlal flew to Calcutta from Delhi on Monday evening and boarded the train Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express to Jamshedpur, their claustrophobic companion climber Rajendra Singh Pal is expected to arrive by train from the national capital later in the night. Sister and celebrity mountaineer Bachendri Pal and mother Hansa Devi will accompany him.

Platform No. 2 at Tatanagar wore a festive look since 9am, 20 minutes before the train’s scheduled arrival. Nearly 400 people, including family and friends of the Everest conquerors from their native Paharpur and Kesosora villages — 35km from the city — in Seraikela-Kharsawan, swamped the station premises.

Their eager wait ended only at 9.55am. Paharpur’s pride 30-year-old Meghlal was the first to step out of the Janshatabdi coach followed by Kesosora’s Binita, terrific at 25.

A group of women rushed to greet the duo — who returned after nearly three months — with garlands, while men lifted them on shoulders, as a middle-aged man played the tassa (a tribal musical instrument) in keeping with the mood.

Beats of the nagara followed as Binita’s mother Domini Soren waited to wash the feet of her daughter — a ritualistic tribal welcome.

“Binita ko shuru se kuch karne ka junoon tha. Jab woh ghar se pahad chadne ke liye nikalti thi toh log hanste the. Lekin Binita himmat nahi haari. Aaj woh duniya ki sabse unchi choti par chadkar lauti hai (Binita always wanted to do something in life. People used to laugh at her when she went climbing nearby hills. But, she did not lose courage. Today, she is home after wresting the world’s highest peak),” the proud mother said.

Besides people from Kesosora and Paharpur, mountaineering fans from Bhadodih in East Singhbhum too travelled on Tata Steel buses to welcome them.

Among VIPs, former deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto and JMM district president Ramesh Hansda were present with scores of party supporters. Tata Steel Adventure Foundation secretary P.P. Kapadia graced the occasion.

“We are very happy to be back among our people,” said Meghlal. “It was a very tough journey to the Everest. But, it was nevertheless unforgettable. The feeling of reaching the top of the world cannot be described in words. It will take some more days before our excitement subsides and reality sinks in,” piped in Binita.

Celebrations over, it was time for the achievers to go home to their native villages. Binita and Meghlal hopped on to buses at 10.45am and waved a grinning goodbye.