By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, FEB. 15: Pre-eminent Tibetan language and literature expert Narkyi Ngawang Dhondup, the man who founded the mordern Tibetan language typewriter has passed away at his residence in New Delhi on Monday following respiratory complications. He was 86 years old.
He was admitted to Delhi’s Holy Family Hospital as he had difficulty breathing after returning from the Kalachakra teachings in January. He was discharged after a week in the hospital and taken to his residence in New Delhi.
Kun-ngo (a Tibetan epithet associated with person of stature) Narkyi as he as referred by many was born in 1931 in Lhoka Tsethang. The former Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations in the exile Tibetan government had an illustrious education beginning from his schooling at the Tse School in the Potala before Tibet’s invasion. He was among the first batch of Tibetan students in 1952 to be sent to Beijing for further studies. After Chinese invasion in 1959, he received his Masters degree from Western Michigan University in the United States.
He had also been student of the previous Ling Rinpoche as well as effervescent Tibetan intellectual Gendun Choephel from whom he learned Tibetan history and poetry. The late expert also taught Tibetan language in Beijing for 7 years and also in exile including India, Japan and United States.
Besides the ‘Narkyi Tibetan dictionary’, he is also attributed to have calibrated Tibetan script on the typewriter. He wrote the Charter of Tibetans in exile, and also the biographies of the previous Dalai Lamas.
