Kathmandu, July 20

Dubby Bhagat — a great friend of The Himalayan Times and one of the pioneers of Nepal’s tourism industry — died today at Patan Hospital. He was 73 and had been ailing for a long time.

Dubby made his maiden trip to Kathmandu in February 1975 to cover late king Birendra’s coronation. Kathmandu has been his home ever since. Dubby, who had a long career in hotels and hospitality, is also regarded as a chronicler of Kathmandu’s hotels.

Soon after coming to Kathmandu, he started working for Everest hotel — then known as Everest Sheraton, where he conceived such eateries as Far Pavilions, Bugles and Tigers and Ropes. Dubby also helped design the Malla Hotel and worked on the conception of Wimpys in Durbar Marg. Working as a trainer with Hotel Shangri-La, he shared his skill in designing Hyatt Hotel in Bouddha. Dubby has also co-written a book, Down history’s narrow land: sketches and myths of the Kathmandu Valley.

Probably the best known food critique in Kathmandu, journalism was Dubby’s “other forte”. He wrote two weekly columns for THT from 2004 to 2012 — The Moveable Feast, a food column that covered the renowned and everyone-must-get-to-know-this eateries in town; and DVDiscussion, where he gave his insights and perspectives on all movies English.

Dubby’s son AD Sherpa, now in Bangkok, will be returning to Kathmandu tomorrow. His final rites will be performed once Sherpa returns.