Hundreds of people gather to bid final farewell to doyen of Nepali tourism Last rites of Ang Tshering Sherpa, a prominent tourism entrepreneur, who died in a helicopter crash in Taplejung last Wednesday, was held at Pachali Ghat in Teku, near the Bagmati River as per the Buddhist tradition today. People from various walks of life, politicians, business entrepreneurs, representatives of media, airline staffers, foreigners, family, members from the tourism fraternity, friends and well-wishers had gathered there to bid him final farewell. Senior Nepali Congress leader Ramchandra Paudel, NC Vice-president Bijay Kumar Gachhadhar, Nepal Communist Party leader Yogesh Bhattarai, among others, were also present there to bid final farewell to Sherpa. Sherpa’s sons Nurbu and Pasang, along with Lama priests, lit his funeral pyre as per the Sherpa tradition. Lama priests recited sacred religious texts while the cremation took place. Sherpa, along with six others, including Tourism Minister Rabindra Adhikari, were killed in the helicopter crash. The final rites of other six were held on Friday. Earlier, the government had kept the bodies of all deceased at Tundhikhel, for last tributes. Sherpa’s body was then taken to his residence at Baluwatar, as per the Buddhist tradition. According to a family source, his date of cremation was fixed for today after Lamas found it was an auspicious day to undertake the ritual. Bachchu Narayan Shrestha, general secretary at Pasang Lhamu Foundation, talking to The Himalayan Times said Sherpa’s demise had caused an irreparable loss to Nepali tourism sector. Sherpa was born in Pangkhum village of Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district in October 1964. He was into travel business from his early days. According to family members, he had established Thamserku Trekking, Nepal’s top mountaineering agency with his elder brother Lakpa Sonam in his early 20s. Sherpa and his elder brother also own Gokarna Forest Resort in Kathmandu, a luxury resort in Kongde in the Everest region and another resort in Lomanthang, Upper Mustang. They also own Tara Air, Air Dynasty, Yeti Adventure, Yeti Homes and Altitude Air.