Nepal’s veteran historian and the longest-surviving literature writer of the country, Satya Mohan Joshi, passed away on Sunday morning at the Kist Medical College and Teaching Hospital where he had been undergoing treatment. Honoured as the Shatabdi Purush (Man of the Century), Joshi was 103 at the time of his passing.
According to The Kathmandu Post, KIST’s director Suraj Bajracharya said that the centenarian passed away at 7.09am. Joshi was undergoing treatment after being diagnosed with pneumonia, prostate, heart-related and dengue problems.
Joshi’s son, Anu Raj Joshi, told the Post that they are yet to decide what to do with the deceased veteran’s body as he and his wife had last year signed an agreement with the KIST to donate their bodies for research after their death.
A cultural scholar, Joshi’s life had several defining moments. Here are a few things to know about him:
- Joshi was born in 1919 in Patan. He has contributed to arts and culture, with over 60 books on drama, culture, history and music to his name. A three-time recipient of the Madan Puraskar for his work on folk studies, Nepali numismatics and the traditions of the Karnali region, the culture scholar is a popular name in every household in Nepal.
- Joshi founded the Rashtriya Nach Ghar as part of his effort to sustain the Nepali culture and art.
- He also established the Araniko White Dagoba Gallery in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, using historical artefacts associated with Araniko, a Nepali sculptor and architect of ancient Nepal who built the China’s White Pagoda.
- In September 2019, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) issued three new coins of denominations of ₹100, ₹1,000 and ₹2,500 featuring Joshi’s portrait to commemorate his 100th birthday, The Himalayan Times reported.
- Last year on November 17, Joshi became the first person to receive Nepal’s electronic passport, the Himalayan Times report added.
