KALIMPONG: Most residents of Kalimpong, and adjoining Siliguri and Darjeeling, have no clue the thukpa that had been filling their bowls for over half a century came from a factory set up by the Dalai Lama‘s elder brother, a towering spiritual figure among Tibetans, who passed away on Saturday at 97.
Way back in 1966-67, Gyalo Thondup not only built his residence, Tagtser House, in Kalimpong but also set up a noodle-making factory, Trans Himalaya. The popular Tibetan dish, thukpa, soon became a staple of the region, where Tibetans came as refugees. In no time, Trans Himalaya’s produce was being exported to Sikkim and other parts of India as well as to adjoining Bhutan and other countries.
While the thukpa produced by Trans Himalaya became a rage, most people in the region were not even aware the 14th Dalai Lama’s elder brother lived in Kalimpong.
“If we look at the history of noodles in Kalimpong… Gyalo Thondup started it in an authentic Tibetan style. By the 1970s, it had become extremely popular. His noodles were in demand until Covid,” said trader Subash Pradhan who sells noodles in Kalimpong.
Thukpa making involves rolling the dough, cutting it into thin strands with a techno blade, leaving it at room temperature for three days, and then sun-drying it for another day. Lhamo Thondup, an aide of the Dalai Lama’s brother, had mastered the art and was the guiding force behind Trans Himalaya. His grandson Tenzing Rigzin now owns Eagle Noodles, another prominent Kalimpong brand.
The Tibetan community remembers the leader differently. “Thondup always had the well-being of his people in mind. He tried his best to negotiate with China for Tibet’s freedom and has left behind a great legacy,” said a businessman.