Tibetans Honour Influential Figure Gyalo Thondup in Solemn Prayer Service

The Tibetan Youth Congress held a prayer session in Dharamshala to honor Kalon Trisur Gyalo Thondup, the late elder brother of the Dalai Lama. This commemoration coincided with his funeral in Kalimpong and highlighted his significant contributions to the Tibetan freedom movement.

The Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC) conducted a poignant prayer session at the main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala on Tuesday, in tribute to Kalon Trisur Gyalo Thondup, elder brother of the 14th Dalai Lama, who passed away Saturday. The event coincided with Thondup's funeral services in Kalimpong.

Buddhist monks and members of the Tibetan diaspora gathered to pay homage to Thondup, a pivotal figure in the Tibetan struggle for freedom. Sonam Tsering, TYC's General Secretary, lauded Thondup's pivotal role in the Tibetan cause, highlighting his efforts in establishing early diplomatic ties with the US and India and orchestrating resistance against Chinese occupation.

The gathering was both a commemoration and a solemn acknowledgment of a legacy, as Tenzin Thapchen, an exiled Tibetan, reflected on Thondup's impact, marking his passing as a major loss for the Tibetan community. The assembly in Dharamshala offered a moment of reflection on Thondup's enduring contributions to the Tibetan struggle for self-determination.