Jignesh Patel and his wife Jagruti were teachers who conducted tuition classes in Kadod, a village in Bardoli taluka of Surat in Gujarat. Their only child, 17-year-old Priyadarshini, was a Class 11 student. But what made this family special in the village was something else.
In 2018, Jignesh and Priyadarshini began trekking, a hobby that quickly became a passion — so much so that the father and daughter soon began challenging Nepal’s Himalayan highlands. The village looked on with pride.
Until that phone call on Sunday afternoon.
“It was a hotel receptionist from Manang (in Nepal) who reported the incident to us The bodies of a man and a girl were discovered By the search teams, Amitabhai Mistry, Jignesh’s cousin, who resides in the same village, told the Indian Express newspaper: “Then we saw the photos and possessions they left behind and confirmed to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu that they were Jignesh and Priyadarshini.”
“Gajruti is still in shock,” he said.
According to officials in Nepal, a search and rescue team discovered the bodies in the Desiang area of the Manang region neighboring Tibet, about three weeks after they disappeared near the Milarepa Cave area.
The two reportedly left their hotel on October 20, telling staff that they were going to Milarepa Monastery. Their bodies were found buried under snow at an altitude of about 100 meters above the monastery. According to police, the two likely moved up the hill to get a better view.
In Kadod, Jignesh’s elder brother Kartik and his wife Beena, who live in Vadodara, arrived in the village on Monday to be with Jagruti while the family waited for the mortal remains.
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“We have been informed that the bodies will arrive in India on Tuesday. They may be transported to Surat via Delhi. We have made all preparations for the final rites. Family members and people who knew Jignesh have reached the village… Jignesh’s parents were teachers at Kadod High School and the village had great respect for the family,” Mistry said, adding that Jignesh’s father “died a few years ago while his mother was bedridden.”
According to Jignesh’s family members, the father-daughter duo’s exploits in the touring circuit were well known. Their treks focused mostly on the grueling Annapurna Circuit: Muktinath-Damodar Kunda, Thorong La, Edam Phra Bek, and Tilicho Lake. “This summer, Jignesh set out alone on an expedition from North Face to Annapurna Base Camp,” Mistry said.
This time, Jignesh and Priyadarshini left Surat on October 14 for Manang, the family said. Their focus was again on the Annapurna range. “On October 21, Jignesh called Jagruti and informed her that they would return to the base camp on October 30 and would return home by November 4. But heavy snowfall changed everything,” Mistry said.
(tags for translation) Tragedy of Gujarat tourists in Nepal
