Himachal ratna awardee Mangat Ram Chauhan passes away at 97, body donated to medical science
Shimla, Nov 10,
Mangat Ram Chauhan, a renowned social reformer and former Panchayat head from Kotkhai in district Shimla, has passed away at the age of 97 in his native village Domehar. According to the family, Chauhan passed away following a heart attack, surrounded by his loved ones.
In a statement, the family shared that fulfilling his long-standing wish, his body was donated to the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, for the advancement of medical research and education. “He had clearly expressed that every part of his body should contribute to the betterment of human life and science,” the family stated.
The family recalled that Mangat Ram Chauhan, a matriculate in pre-Independence India, always thought ahead of his times. A rationalist at heart, he devoted his life to public service and the upliftment of the underprivileged. During his decade-long tenure as head of Kairi Panchayat, he took several pioneering initiatives, including the construction of durable public assets and allocation of land to poor families. He also developed a 60-bigha orchard for the panchayat, which today generates an annual income of around ₹30 lakh. Under his leadership, Kairi Panchayat was honored as the Best Panchayat in Asia.
The family shared that at the age of 50, Chauhan chose to transfer most of his property to his children and instead established the Giri Gyan Vidya Jyoti Trust in Kotkhai — an education trust aimed at supporting poor and orphaned children. Funded entirely by family members and donors, the trust provided residential and educational facilities to over 50 children up to the college level, many of whom went on to secure government and professional positions.
Remembering his wide circle of acquaintances, the family said that Chauhan shared close ties with several distinguished personalities, including Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, former Himachal Chief Ministers Dr. Y.S. Parmar, Thakur Ramlal, and Virbhadra Singh, as well as former Director General of Police Rati Ram Verma. In recognition of his contributions to society, the Government of Himachal Pradesh had conferred upon him the Himachal Ratna award, which was presented by then Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
The family also mentioned that Chauhan had made his decision to donate his body back in 2014 and had left clear instructions that no rituals should be performed after his death. True to his rationalist beliefs, his final wish was honored on November 10 when his body was formally handed over to IGMC Shimla.
“Throughout his life, his message remained simple — help the poor and be kind to others. He lived by this principle until his last breath,” the family added in their statement.
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