Nepal bids farewell to Centenarian cultural expert, one day of national mourning announced
Oct 16, 2022
Kathmandu [Nepal], October 16 : Nepal on Sunday bid farewell to veteran cultural expert and historian Satya Mohan Joshi with state honours who passed away at age of 103.
The Government has announced a day of national mourning in honour of a three-time Madan Puraskar winner who was deemed a living history of Nepal as he witnessed the major natural as well as political disasters of the Himalayan Nation.
Born in 1977 BS (1920) Joshi witnessed major political turmoil ranging from the overthrow of the Rana Regime to the dawn of Democracy- Panchayat- Royal takeover- abolishment of the monarchy to the federal Republic system of politics.
Joshi, breathed his last at 7:09 am (Local Time) at KIST Medical College in Gwarko, Lalitpur. He was recently suffering from a dengue infection and had been diagnosed with prostate and heart problems.
He was diagnosed with chest pneumonia and heart rhythm problems along with a dengue infection on October 9. The 103-year-old culture expert was admitted to the hospital on September 23 after he suffered from health problems.
Within an hour of his demise, Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba took Twitter and expressed grief over the passing of Bangmaya (Literature) Shatabdi Purush- Satya Mohan Joshi.
"I am deeply grieved by Joshi's death. I pray for eternal peace of the departed soul and express my condolences to the grief-stricken family members," the PM wrote in his Twitter post.
Later in the afternoon, Prime Minister Deuba reached the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Office to pay homage to Joshi. PM Deuba also laid the national flag over the body of the late historian.
Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari also condoled the demise of Joshi stating the nation has lost its guardian. Bhandari in her tweet termed Joshi as a relentless contributor to Nepali art, language and culture.
"His active and meaningful life was always an inspiration for all of us," the state head said on Twitter.
Other political figures and officials from the Government of Nepal including the former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former House Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota and other sitting ministers also reached the Lalitpur Metropolitan City Office to bid the final goodbye.
The body was then taken back to KIST Teaching Hospital as per the will of Joshi who had wished his body to be donated for research purposes.
