Not Dalai Lama’s bro; for Kalimpong, Thondup was first maker of thukpa
Times of India | 11 February 2025
Kalimpong: He might have been a towering spiritual figure in Tibet, but in north Bengal's Kalimpong, he was a humble businessman who had set up the town's first large-scale noodle factory.
Gyalo Thondup used to run the factory from his 8th Mile house and even fans of his products never knew whose factory the thukpa (as the Tibetan noodles are known locally) had come from. Many, in fact, didn't even know the 14th Dalai Lama's elder brother lived in Kalimpong.
Thondup built his residence, Tagtser House, in Kalimpong around 1966-67 and established the factory, Trans Himalaya. Thukpa had become a staple dish of the area as Tibetans came in as refugees. Not only was Thondup feeding the town, he was also filling the thukpa bowls of Siliguri, Darjeeling, Sikkim and even exporting to Bhutan and other countries.
Local businessman Subash Pradhan, who sells noodles and puja essentials in Kalimpong, recalls: "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 always in demand until Covid."
Until recently, thukpa was made only in Kalimpong but now Siliguri has also started producing it. The process 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, a close associate of the Dalai's brother, had mastered the traditional art and was the guiding force of Trans Himalaya. His grandson Tenzing Rigzin now owns Eagle Noodles, another prominent Kalimpong brand.
"My grandfather worked at Trans Himalaya for years before starting his own business. My father continued it, and now I am taking care of it," Rigzin said.
While Kalimpong knew Gyalo Thondup as a businessman, the Tibetan community remembers the leader differently. "Thondup always had the 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 Tibetan businessman.
VIPs from the Tibetan govt-in-exile, including the Sikyong (PM), are arriving in Kalimpong for Thondup's last rites. The funeral will take place at his 8th Mile residence at 6.45am on Tuesday.