Veteran singer and composer Bhakta Raj Acharya, popularly known as Bhajan Shiromani, died on Monday. He was 82.

Musician Hari Lamsal, a neighbour of Acharya, confirmed that Acharya passed away while being rushed to Nepal Mediciti Hospital in Lalitpur.

“I along with Swaroop (Acharya’s son) took him to the hospital after his oxygen level dropped sharply while he was taking rest at home,” Lamsal said. “The doctors at the hospital declared him dead on arrival.”

The octogenarian singer had collapsed around four months ago at his home, according to Lamsal. Since then, he had been staying at his home. His wife Sushila and two sons, Satya and Swaroop, among other family members, were taking care of him.

During a distinguished career spanning decades, Acharya sang around 400 songs, including such all-time classics as ‘Hajar Sapana Haruko’, ‘Jati Chot Dinchhau’ and ‘Mutu Jalirahechha’.

Acharya had to abruptly give up singing on the stage 31 years ago. “I sang three songs at a function organised at RR Campus [in Kathmandu] in 2049 BS,” he said in an interview with Kantipur daily three years ago. After that, a lump developed in his tongue. “Doctors diagnosed cancer,” he said.

He then went to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where doctors said they needed to cut his tongue to stop the deadly disease from further spreading.

After the operation, he lost his voice that even led him to think about commiting suicide by jumping off the AIIMS building, he said. “But the support of Sushila [his wife] and the love towards small sons stopped me from doing so,” he said in the interview.

After the tongue surgery, he could hardly speak, let alone sing.

His son Swaroop Raj, however, thinks his father had a fighting spirit. “He struggled hard throughout his life but he never gave up,” said Swaroop Raj, who was sitting beside Bhakta Raj’s body at the Mediciti Hospital on Monday. “It was since 2050 BS that people used to say that he would survive not more than five to 10 years, but his strong will power kept on defeating the deadly disease until now.”

As the news of his death spread, the hospital was immediately crowded by his fans from all walks of life, including politicians, singers, musicians, and actors.

Acharya will be cremated tomorrow, said Lamsal.