Rabin Man Shakya
Portland, Jan 26 (Nepal Oregon News): Anything can happen to anybody anytime. Human life is so unpredictable, fragile and vulnerable to illnesses, incidents and accidents. Life is uncertain but death is certain. Anichabata Sankhara.
On Dec 26, 2017, (Nepal Sambat 1138, Thinla Gaa Asthami) my mother Man Shova Shakya passed away. She was 88. She died of heart failure at Norvic International Hospital in Kathmandu. Late Ms Shakya has been battling against diabetes for last 30 years.
Born in Kathmandu in 1929, late Ms Shakya always worked very hard for the welfare of her children in the family. Late Man Shova was born into a Jhochhen Shakya family of late Dharma Ratna Shakya who owned and operated one of the first few radio shops in Kathmandu at that time.
Late Shakya, who was a gifted housewife, married late Pushpa Shakya in 1941 AD when her age age was only 12 and my dad was just a 13 year old kid. It is to be noted that child marriage was still a very common practice in Nepal at that time, a time when the Himalayan Kingdom was still in the grip of despotic Rana oligarchs.
Late Ms Shakya was a gentle and loving woman who was devoted to her family and worked hard to provide a comfortable home and opportunities for her children to succeed.
My mom was not well educated but I still remember it was her who taught me to learn and write Na Mo Ba Gi Sho Ra Ye and Ka Kha Ga Gha on the slate board when I probably was just a 4 or 5 year-old kid. All four of her children achieved advanced degrees excelling in both the classroom and professional world, a testimony to her support as a good mother. She not only inculcated values of discipline and self respect on her children, but also instilled the significance of culture, traditions and religion on them.
Her eldest daughter Dr Lata Bajracharya is a senior gynecologist in Nepal and also the president of Development Board of Paropakar Maternity and Women's Hospital whereas her eldest son Dr Rabin Man Shakya is the first journalism Ph D in Nepal.
Likewise, her younger son Ujjwal Man Shakya is one of the senior architects of Nepal and her younger daughter Sunita Shrestha Shakya is also an architect.
A lot of people including our relatives, friends and well-wishers had come to us to extend condolences at my brother's house at Baluwatar, Kathmandu.
A team of doctors from Nepalese Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (NESOG) visited us and extended a letter of condolence. Also, a team of doctors and other staffs from the Capital Hospital, Kathmandu paid last tributes to her on her photo.
Those who came to express condolences to the mourning family were Bhikkhuni Dr Dhamma Vijaya (Buddhist nun), Tulasa Amatya, Director of Community Action Center and women rights activist Bharati Silwal.
Similarly, Amir Man Shakya, president of Shakya Foundation, Dil Ratna Shakya, president of Nepal-Russia Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Swaraj Shakya, General Secretary of Nepal-Russia Friendship and Cultural Association and Shanta Ratna Shakya, chief advisor of Nepal Rastriya Gyanmala Samiti were among those paying final respects to the deceased soul on her photo.
Likewise, Professor Surendra Shakya, Professor Dr Sushil B Bajracharya, Associate Professor Kamal Ratna Shakya and popular singer Prabesh Man Shakya were among the people paying last tributes to her photo during the 7-day mourning period.
Today more than ever, social media has become an important and powerful tool for the people to interact and communicate with each other all over the world. A number of people have also extended condolences to us on the social media sites like the Facebook. Dr Bal Gopal Shrestha, (the Netherlands) ex-president of World Newah Organization (WNO), Daya Ratna Shakya, WNO vice president, Krishna Chakhun, (the United Kingdom) WNO spokesperson have expressed "bicha hayeka" in the Facebook.
Likewise, Nahendra Pradhan, president of Mitra Kunja, Bharat Banskota, president of Nepali Association of Oregon (NAO) and Diwakar Maharjan, president of Non-resident Nepalese Association - NCC - USA, Oregon chapter have expressed sadness over the demise of our mother in the social media sites. Many prominent engineers, doctors, journalists and intellectuals of Nepal have also extended condolences on the Facebook.
Similarly, many Nepalese living in Oregon and other parts of the US have also facebooked to express sorrows.
A religious ritual "Dubyankegu" and offering of "Nhayanma" to the deceased soul was performed on the seventh day followed by another traditional ritual "Nimmo" performed by our respected Guruju and Gurumaju. Our cousin sisters Shil Shobha Shakya and Sun Keshari Shakya extended a lot of help to facilitate and perform those religious rituals. In fact, rituals like "Dubyankegu" and "Nimmo" are the traditional ways of paying tributes to the deceased soul.
As a matter of fact, last year, I have been to Kathmandu two times. First, I was there from Oct 10 to Nov 8, 2017 with my spouse Naveena Shakya. At that time, we were fortunate to see our mother and have blessings from her. Secondly, I was again in Kathmandu from Dec 31, 2017 to Jan 12, 2018.
Meanwhile, a number of my American friends in Portland also have extended heart-felt condolences to our family. Among them, Glenn A Fernley, who is a musician/saxophonist for music band "Rebel" in Portland and who was a music teacher for a school in Portland, said to me:"I am sorry for your loss. May you and your family garner strength to overcome the unforeseen situation."
Likewise, Dr Daniel Chenowith (Ph D in Psychology) said to me:"Please accept my condolences on your mother's death."
Likewise, some of my Nepalese, Russian, Ethiopean and Pakistani friends living in Portland, USA have also extended condolences to our family.
The grieving family members in Nepal and in the US extend heart-felt gratitude to all the people who came to extend condolences to us and wished RIP to the deceased soul and also to all of them who have wished condolences to us in the Facebook.
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| My late mother Man Shova Shakya (middle), my spouse Naveena Shakya and my son Ranjan Shakya at Taj Mahal in 1994. They all had come to New Delhi when I, along with Jagadish Pokhrel (now Editor in Chief of The Rising Nepal) were doing a five months course on Non-aligned News Agency Journalism at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. |
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| My late mother Man Shova Shakya, my spouse Naveena Shakya and my son Ranjan Shakya at the Kutub Minar in New Delhi. |
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| Ven. Kanchha Guruju performing religious rituals on the seventh day of my mother's demise. (Rabin Man Shakya is a Nepali journalist in America) |
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