The funeral will be held at 4 pm on Thursday in Colvale. “He passed away peacefully. His partner Jerome (Marrel) was by his side,” the family member said.

Schulen Fernandes, the Creative Director for Wendell Rodricks label shared that the famed fashion designer passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on Wednesday around 5 pm.

On Instagram, quoting one of Rodricks’ favourite songs, Fernandes wrote, “Darkest day today. I’m numb with deep sorrow and the loss of the dearest one. He should still be here. With us. Here’s what I must say, while I find the strength to speak very little. Wendell passed away today at 5 pm in his sleep. In his home, his sanctuary. Surrounded by the love of the familiar. (Let all other theories be put to rest. Period.) Stay with the man if you must in his legacy and play ‘somewhere over the rainbow’ in fond remembrance.”

A note on the door late Wednesday evening said: “Let Wendell rest in peace. No visitors allowed.” A family member said they had decided that the funeral at Colvale church would be open to all, but no condolences would be accepted at home. “We have only one request now. Respect our privacy. We are mourning,” said the family member.

According to a family friend, Rodricks’ condition had “weakened” Tuesday evening, but he had decided he didn’t want to be moved to a hospital. The family didn’t want to speak on his condition, though villagers said he had been “visibly ill” for a while.

Born on May 28, 1960, Rodricks was hailed as the champion of minimalism on the fashion runway. He was involved in conceptualising the first Lakme India Fashion Week, held in 2000.

Rodricks was associated with several social causes, and was especially active on the issues of environment and gay rights. In 2014, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the government.

In 2012, he married Jerome Marrel in Paris.

After news of his death broke, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant tweeted: “Deeply shocked & saddened by the sudden demise of world renowned fashion designer & a niz Goenkar Padma Shri Wendell Rodricks. His exemplary work has left an indelible mark in the world of fashion.”

Union textile minister Smriti Irani said: “Shocked to hear about the untimely demise of Wendell Rodricks, one of India’s most renowned designers. My heartfelt condolences to his loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.”

Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane also said: “Deeply saddened to hear about the sudden demise of my very good friend and designer, Wendell Rodricks. His excellency in his work & skills are irreplaceable & shall always be cherished. We will truly miss him. My heartfelt condolences to his family & dear ones.”

The Fashion Design Council of India posted on Instagram: “Disheartened with the sudden and untimely demise of one of the country’s iconic designer, Wendell Rodricks. The fashion fraternity lost a legend today. Wendell, we will miss you.”

Apart from the Padma Shri, Rodricks was honoured with the Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de l’Ordre National dea Arts et des Lettres) by the government of France, bestowed the Rainbow Warrior Award by Kashish Film Festival and feted by the All India Konkani Parishad.

In January 2012, Rodricks wrote his first book, ‘Moda Goa – History and Style’. In August 2012, his memoir, ‘The Green Room’, was published, followed by a novel, ‘Poskem – Goans in the Shadows’ in July 2017.

A museum he was working on — the Moda Goa Museum and Research Centre —  which would house a “collection of over 800 artefacts stretching from the 7th century AD till present date”, was to be inaugurated in March in Colvale.

Rodricks turned to environmental activism as he was pained by the degrading ecosystem of his state Goa. In ‘The Green Room’, he wrote about how his love for Goa gradually made him a “reluctant activist”.

“Never in my life had I dreamt that I would stand on a truck or a public garden and deliver fiery speeches to save Goa. But by 2004, I was voicing my opinions loud and clear in ‘Goa Today’ and had made many powerful enemies. But the Goan public showered their support,” he wrote.

“I love my land so much that if someone tells me to eat the soil in Colvale I will. My love for Goa is so strong that I cannot see it destroyed before my eyes,” he further said in his book.

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Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said that people arriving in Goa from the virus-affected regions outside India would be closely monitored.

“I have given instructions to form a special task force to monitor any cases of coronavirus in Goa. All the activities, including people arriving from the virus-affected regions, would be closely monitored and reported to the state Chief Secretary,” Rane told reporters.

The task force will work as per the guidelines laid down by the Union Ministry of Health, he added.

The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus in China is a novel strain and not seen before. It has killed 26 people so far, and has caused alarm because of its similarity to SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).

meanwhile A suspected case of coronavirus has been reported in Rajasthan, following which the patient has been kept in isolation, state Health Minister Raghu Sharma said on Sunday.

He said a doctor, who returned to India after completing the MBBS course in China, was kept in isolation at the SMS Hospital here on the suspicion of being affected by coronavirus.

Directions were given to conduct a screening of all the family members of the patient, he added.

In an official statement, the minister said a blood sample of the patient was sent to the National Virology Laboratory in Pune.

He added that a total of 18 people from four districts of the state had returned to the country from China and the respective district chiefs and medical officers were directed to keep them under surveillance for 28 days.

Sharma also urged the Union health minister to make the screening facility available at the international terminals of various airports in the country.

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