At a programme organised by Nai Prakashan in Kathmandu on Friday, celebrated historian and centenarian Satya Mohan Joshi made an announcement for the “betterment of humanity” and to “make the world a better place to live in.”

Joshi, 101, and his wife Radha, 96, announced that the couple would donate their bodies to a medical college after their death.

“Death is inevitable, and there are certain rituals from birth to death,” said Joshi, described by many as a “renaissance man” with over 60 books on music, history, culture, literature, and drama to his name.

“But after my death, I want my body to be examined to understand how I could survive up to this age, so that others may also benefit from the knowledge,” said Joshi who turned 101 on May 12 last year.

The Joshi couple, along with their son Anu Raj signed an agreement with Kist Medical College to hand over the couple’s body to the hospital for further research after their death.

“I am not against my culture, religion, and philosophy. I take it as a part of life. But it has to be followed with some reforms,” said the veteran writer, historian, and cultural expert at the function on the premises of Lalitpur Metropolitan City’s office..

Joshi said he had a special bonding with Kist Medical College, ever since he underwent a hernia surgery there a while ago.

In May 2019, Lalitpur Metropolitan City organised a function to mark his birth centenary and announced a public holiday to mark the occasion. In September that year, Nepal Rastra Bank unveiled three new coins of denominations Rs 100, Rs 1,000, and Rs 2,500 to commemorate his centenary.

Dr Suraj Bajracharya, professor and Head of the Department of Kist Medical College, said this is an exemplary move and that this is going to be an eye-opener for everyone. “The college signed an agreement to perform his regular check-ups. We are also conducting research on his longevity,” said Dr Professor Balman Singh Karki of Kist Medical College. He also said the hospital has been frequently sending its doctors to perform health checks on the Joshi couple.

It’s not just his longevity, his prolific works in literature, and his active engagement in different functions where he still prefers to go on foot, also awe the public. For Joshi it’s simple. He says he refrains from negativity and never “complains”, but “contemplates.”

“Joshi’s contribution to Nepali literature is immense; he is a living legend. The announcement he made today adds another milestone to his life,” said Chiri Babu Maharjan, mayor of the city.

Indira Prasai, chairman of Nai Prakashan who has been promoting Joshi’s work and facilitated Friday's programme compared Joshi with the sage Dadhichi, a central character in Hinduism who sacrificed his life for the good of the world.

“In Nepal, we do not see people donate one’s body for research or organ transplant. Joshi’s announcement serves as an example for all of us to follow,” said Prasai.