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Gorkhapatra, the country's oldest broadsheet daily, marked its 125th anniversary by organising a special function on Wednesday. It was a historic milestone for the Nepali vernacular daily to celebrate its quasquicentennial, uninterruptedly serving the public. It has become a witness to scores of political upheavals that rocked the nations in different phases of history. Launching the first newspaper was a brainchild of reformist Rana prime minister Dev Shumsher, who wanted to make it a channel for the people to air their views openly. But his vision for developing a robust public media hit roadblocks after he was sacked from his post and expelled from the capital. Under the more autocratic rulers, Gorkhapatra could not exercise much autonomy but it continued to keep the spark of journalism, inspiring many to engage in the field.