Tibetan Mirror Press & Tharchin Babu: Then and now
The discovery of the photograph of the Tibetan Mirror Press and its editor Mr. Tharchin (or Rev. G. Tharchin, or Tharchin Babu) necessitates the stitching together of some past stories…
Dr. Sonam Wangyal’s essay about Tharchin Babu titled “Kalimpong’s Lonely Warrior” had a wonderful description of the editor of the Tibet Mirror Press and Kalimpong personality.
However, Tharchin, a Ladakh-born Tibetan who made Kalimpong his home is remembered not for the way he dressed or looked but for a journal he wrote. … Tharchin Babu is and will forever be reminisced for Tibet Mirror which was the only Tibetan language journal ‘in the whole world’. It was read from the grand monasteries of Lhasa to the Oriental departments of esteemed European universities, and it was eagerly awaited upon by the foreign offices of Washington, Peking (Beijing), London, Moscow and New Delhi. When the Chinese presence in Lhasa intensified Tibet Mirror responded with salvos of anti Chinese, anti communist and anti Mao Tse Tung articles.
The photograph from the previous post then put a face to the description. We also see the elegant and proud sign of Tibet Mirror Press back then in 1957.
Then we have yet another photograph that I had taken in Dec 2008 of the present state of the poor press:
It is a pity that Kalimpong’s rich and colorful history has been reduced to this.
January 25th, 2010 at 4:17 pm IST
Whereabouts is the press located? Is there anything we could do or you could look into? Many thanks for raising this issue
January 25th, 2010 at 4:39 pm IST
Tharchin babu used to run an industry known as “GOD INDUSTRY” THROUGH HIS CONTACTS HIS ALL THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS STUDIED IN GOOD SCHOOLS LIKE, SAS, CONVENT, AND DGH…..
January 28th, 2010 at 5:44 am IST
@Danny – This is located at 10th mile, Rishi Road. I have no information at present about the current state of ownership etc. If I do find out I will let you know. Thanks.