What truly piqued my interest was seeing Dr. Suraj Joshi being honoured with the Dr. Ashok Sathe Memorial Award at the recently held Arogya Mitra Foundation annual event. This award is given to a doctor who is not only excellent in medical practice but is also passionately involved in many other facets of life.
Many of us know Dr. Suraj Joshi — I have met him twice, both times when I had lost my precious voice due to an infection. His warm, calming presence puts patients instantly at ease. But what you see in the clinic is just the tip of a remarkable, layered personality.
A Belagavi Boy Through and Through
Educated at St. Paul’s, Dr. Suraj Joshi completed his MBBS from JNMC. He then secured an MS seat in Radiation therapy at Kidwai Institute, Bangalore. But within a few days, his mentor gently told him that Radiation might not be the field that would truly fulfil him and that he must choose another one. Most would hesitate to make such a drastic shift. But Dr. Suraj heeded to his advice and returned to Belagavi, worked briefly at local hospitals, and then pursued his MS in ENT at JNMC. By then he was married, and after completing his Masters degree, he went to Switzerland for a fellowship. Upon returning, he set up his own ENT practice — a journey that has now spanned nearly 20 fruitful years.
Life’s Unexpected Gift – being a farmer
If the story ended here happily ever after, it would sound like the typical life of many dedicated surgeons. But life had others plans for him. Dr. Suraj Joshi’s father owned a jewellery shop and personally looked after some ancestral land near Yamkanmardi. As his father stepped back from active life, Dr. Suraj began accompanying him on weekly farm visits. He observed quietly, clicked photographs of crops throughout their growing stages, and slowly began to understand the rhythm of the land.
When his father passed away in 2018, the farm became his responsibility. He was clueless about farming — but his photos, the dates, and the visual progression of crops became his unexpected guidebook. More significantly, he looked at the farm as a living, breathing organism, one that needed attention, affection, and patience. And the farmers who visited him as patients became his teachers. He would ask them for farming advice, and they gave generously. In return, he helped them in every way he could.
One farmer advised him to adopt free-range cattle rearing. What started with 8 cows has now grown into a herd of 38, all freely moving under open sheds. Their manure from droppings mixed with wood dust and chippings, creates rich organic compost. He also ventured scientifically into Vermicomposting in the traditional method and got the two tested only to find that both were equally good. Part of the land is dedicated solely to fodder; the rest grows sugarcane, soya bean, and cotton.
The doctor in him complements the farmer in him — meticulously analysing soil health, boosting carbon content (Soil Organic Carbon- SOC), and tracking improvements scientifically. He doesn’t just tend to the farm, he nurtures it. His farm soil now shows a dramatic rise in carbon levels, and he is determined to improve it even further. He even envisions an old age home for cattle as soon as possible, where the animals, instead of being sent to slaughterhouses, could be cared for and fed in their last days. Currently, lack of adequate fodder produced at their farm is a limitation, he would soon look for viable options.
Fitness Forever
Dr. Suraj Joshi and his wife, Dr. Anupama are very much into cycling as a lifelong fitness regime. In order to pursue newer paths, they frequently travel to new destinations, including Switzerland and Austria, walked down the roads of Japan and says he will continue on this fitness journey.
A Deep Spiritual Journey
Dr. Suraj comes from a spiritually rooted family, with their ancestral Lord Shiva temple in Yamkanmardi playing a central role. He has even got it bolstered and restored. In his school days, a teacher had advised him to chant the Ganesh Mantra — a practice he continues to this day. Many years later, when his eldest daughter left for Bengaluru for studies, the father in him was shaken momentarily, he says — but chanting the Shiva Mantra 108 times daily ever since became his source of strength. His interest in the Bhagavad Gita began after reading a small copy at home. His mother-in-law later gifted him a Chinmaya Mission edition, and that opened a new world of understanding.
The last shloka —
यत्र योगेश्वरः कृष्णो यत्र पार्थो धनुर्धरः। तत्र श्रीर्विजयो भूतिर्ध्रुवा नीतिर्मतिर्मम॥
(where Krishna, the master of mystics, and Arjuna, the supreme archer, are present, there will also be victory) — left a profound imprint on him. He reads the Gita and tries to understand each Shloka. So much so that even today when speaking to his daughters over phone, they have made it a daily ritual to chant 10 shlokas together, followed by Dr. Suraj explaining their meaning with examples relevant to Gen Z.
The Kailash Calling
His Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this year is an extension of this spiritual path.
After attending a discourse by Swami Abhedanand of Chinmaya Mission at Belagavi, Dr. Suraj Joshi and his wife, Dr. Anupama, decided to join the Swamiji-led pilgrimage to Kailash. However, that trip didn’t happen with Swamiji. He continued his mantra sadhana, nonetheless, visualising Mount Kailash with every chant (His computer screen – saver for years featured the sacred mountain). Then another opportunity presented itself this August. Both he and Dr. Anupama decided to embark on the journey — chanting all the way to Kailash. This was not just a journey of immense faith, but a spiritual surrender, performed with devotion, reverence, and grit. This was a journey of immense faith. Even as they reached the base, dense clouds didn’t allow a good view of the majestic and divine mountain. To avoid the cold, Dr. Suraj decided to stay back in the room and chant, as Dr. Anupama went down and sat with the other pilgrims chanting rounds of 108 chants. When she opened her eyes, she saw Swamiji walking towards where they were seated. She couldn’t believe her eyes, ran to room and told him. What was supposed to be a travel to Kailash with Swamiji and hadn’t happened, a divine intervention led to meeting Swamiji exactly at that time. Finally seeing Mount Kailash — after years of chanting and visualising — felt like a deeply personal blessing.
A Man of Warmth, Depth, and Purpose
What truly stands out about Dr. Suraj Joshi is not just his medical expertise but his friendliness, his love for farming, his spiritual discipline, and above all, his deep empathy for people. His medical profession impacts his farming pursuits, the farming keeps him grounded and spiritual while the spirituality has a profound impact on his profession.
His life beautifully weaves together four roles:
A dedicated doctor.
A mindful farmer.
A sincere seeker.
And a compassionate human being.