Pokhara’s Century Man

Before the first light of the day strikes the pinnacle of Mt Machapuchre after a night of rain, John Philip Cross is already up and about on a morning walk around his home with his Japanese Spitz, Luka.

Once a British Gurkha officer who led Nepal’s soldiers to battle in many wars, after retirement Cross decided to spend the rest of his life in Pokhara, where many of the fighters he commanded were from. He has outlived most of them.

As he prepares to celebrate his 100th birthday on 21 June, he is still sprightly and with a strong memory. Cross keeps meticulous count of how long he has been in Nepal, and rattles it off: “80 years, 6 months, and 3 days.”

Born in 1925, Cross served in the British Army during World War II with the Brigade of Gurkhas on the Burma front, during the Malaya Emergency, and the Indonesian Konfrontasi in Borneo where he was captured and nearly executed. He retired from the military in 1982, and settled down in Pokhara.

Cross is now a Nepali citizen, but it was not easy and took him “32 years, 6 months, and 2 days”. But that was just a piece of paper. Cross Sa’b was already Nepali in mind, body and soul.

The Colonel has travelled across the mountains and Tarai, and has written 21 books about the wars he witnessed, his linguistic research in Nepal and other things Nepali. He speaks at least 13 languages including Nepali, Tamang, Gurung and Magar.

What are the secrets to his longevity? Till before the Covid pandemic, Cross used to walk 20km each day. (“Exercise is the best medicine, keep moving.”) The virus brought him down, but he still remains active. The Nepali diet of fresh vegetables, dal and bhat power keeps him strong, and he drinks milk tea in the morning like every good Nepali.

These days, he limits outings to essential programs and special occasions, but continues to help young Nepalis preparing for recruitment into the British Army. He remembers the exact number of people he has mentored: “8,119.”

His instructions to aspiring soldiers are grounded in three key values: react to the unexpected, stand up and be counted, and develop self-esteem. He passes these on not just as military advice, but as a life philosophy: “Do as you would be done by.”

Over the decades, Cross has forged a special bond with Budhiman Dura Tamu ‘Dhamphu’ whom he met in 1977 as a young British Army applicant rejected because he was too short. He regards Budhiman as his own son, and the bond is so deep that a village astrologer once said they shared the same mother 400 years ago in England.

Budhiman and his family care for him at his home in Pokhara’s Dhampu Niwas. Some years ago, Cross had eye surgery and after returning to Nepal, Budhiman wanted to see if his friend would still recognise him.

“We met, and were face to face,” Budhiman recalls. “He gave me his hand and said ‘My life is here’.”

The 100th birthday is not merely a celebration of the passage of time or a reminder of the history of nations, it honours a life lived to the fullest.

J P Cross has transcended borders and his life celebrates universal brotherhood.

Born under the Union Jack and forged by the fires of great wars, Cross has livied where mountains are so high they pierce the sky.

His advice to fellow Nepalis is simply: “Good health and peace at heart, that’s a good life.” Cross is now working on his 22nd book.