Memorial service held to mark 268th anniversary of Kaji Pande's demise in battle

KATHMANDU: A memorial service for Kaji Kalu Pande was held to mark the 268th anniversary of his demise in battle, on Wednesday.

The Kaji Kalu Pande Kaji Tularam Pande Memorial Foundation invited the Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) General Ashok Raj Sigdel to place ceremonial flowers on Pande’s grave at the Kalu Pande Samadhi.

Attending the event were senior Nepali Army personnel as well as Pandes from the eighth and ninth generations.

Retired General Pawan Pande, speaking exclusively to Business 360, disclosed that the initiative to renovate Kalu Pande’s gravesite began 28 years ago. He said, "It was a neglected grave until our family bought this land. We, the foundation, the ward and the Nepali Army designed and established this site and the temple. The grounds below the temple are where Vamsharaj Pande, son of Kalu Pande, brought stones from Manakamana Temple and held a grand ritual prior to their famous victory over Kritipur."

The foundation’s rejuvenation operation has brought significant investment to the site, improved traffic at local businesses and positioned the gravesite at Chandragiri as an attractive destination for residents of the Kathmandu Valley.

Retired General Pande expressed his gratitude for the efforts of the Nepali Army, the local ward and municipalities and National Life Insurance.

Chief Guest CoAS General Sigdel placed the ceremonial wreath on the site to honour the memory of a renowned strategist’s sacrifice in pursuit of King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s vision for the nation.

Additionally, the foundation invited notable guests to address the congregation. Tourism professional Bikram Pande and Professor Radha Ram Subedi expanded upon the historical significance of the site and the many accomplishments of Kaji Pande during his lifetime.

Retired General Pande closed the event by thanking the attendees for honouring his forefather’s legacy and utilised his time on stage to advocate for renaming the site where Damodar Pande – the first Prime Minister (Mulkaji Sahib) of Nepal and the son of Kaji Pande – was murdered, as Damodar Road in his honour.

Binod Pande, Chairman of the National Ex-Army and Police Organisation of Nepal (NEAPON) and an eighth-generation descendant of Kaji Pande, expressed his hope that the commemoration of Kaji Pande’s contributions to a unified Nepal will remind Nepalis that there are ample opportunities for strategic thinkers within the nation without the need to seek prospects abroad.

Kaji Pande fell on June 1, 1858 AD.