Hisar bids farewell to a patriarch who built an empire on simplicity

HISAR: Hisar mourns one of its own. Nand Kishore Goenka, patriarch of the sprawling Goenka clan and a man whose word was reportedly worth more than most contracts, has died, prompting his eldest son, Subhash Chandra, to lead a public tribute that has struck a chord well beyond the family’s inner circle.

In a post shared widely, Subhash Chandra described his father as a man whose “simplicity, discipline, compassion and unwavering commitment to family” formed the bedrock of the family’s journey. There was nothing flashy about the elder Goenka, and that, by his son’s own account, was rather the point. In an age of noise, Nand Kishore Goenka built his standing quietly — the kind of reputation neighbours invoke without needing prompting.

Invoking Sanatan philosophy, Subhash Chandra wrote that his father’s absence had “created a silence that words cannot fill,” even as he took comfort in the belief that the soul is eternal and that those we love “never truly leave us.” Sentiment aside, the message was unmistakably one of gratitude rather than grief alone.

His life partner, Tara Devi, predeceased him. He is survived by sons Subhash Chandra, Lakshmi Narayan, Jawahar Lal and Ashok, and daughters Kusum, Urmil and Mohini — a household, by all accounts, still run on his principles long after he stopped having to enforce them.

The formalities are already under way. A shanti baithak runs daily at Goenka Seva Sadan, Devi Bhawan Temple Complex, from 10am to 1pm and again from 4pm to 7pm. The rasam pagri, marking the formal passing of the mantle, will be held on 26 July at Maharaja Agrasen Bhawan, Old Government College Ground, Hisar, from 3pm to 4pm.

For Subhash Chandra, the tribute was as much a public reckoning as a private goodbye. His legacy, the son wrote, was never going to be measured in the size of his estate, but in the size of the shadow he leaves for others to grow into.

Om Shanti.