Litterateur Tara Nath Sharma, also known as Tana Sharma, has died. He was 87.

“Our beloved uncle passed away at 8:20 am on Tuesday at his home,” Sharma’s nephew Dr Jyotindra Sharma told the Post.

Sharma was suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems, he said.

“He was unable to move around lately and had become weaker. He was also suffering from dementia for the last few years,” said Dr Sharma.

Sharma, who also wrote school textbooks, is the author of several books and is known as an excellent travelogue writer.

“Ghanaghaskya ko Ukalo Katda” is probably one of the most read travel pieces by Sharma, which was part of Nepal’s high school curriculum.

Born in 1934 at Barbote of Ilam district, Sharma did his PhD in Linguistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US.

A recipient of the prestigious Madan Puraskar for his popular travelogue “Belayat Tira Baralida”, his yet another book on his experience of living in the United States, “Patal Pravas”, is an equally popular work.

Sharma has written more than 100 books in Nepali and English.

He also once edited The Rising Nepal, an English daily published by the state-owned Gorkhapatra Sansthan.

According to his relatives, his body will be kept at his residence for people to pay final tribute.

His final rites will be performed on Tuesday afternoon at Pashupati Aryaghat.

Sharma is survived by his wife and two sons Analnath Sharma and Salil Sharma.