Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, May 20: Tenzin Namdhak Taklha, long-time senior aide and private secretary to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, was honoured with the prestigious Thiksey Medal Award on Wednesday in recognition of his decades-long service to the Tibetan spiritual leader and the Tibetan community in exile.
The award ceremony was held at Thiksey Monastery in Ladakh during celebrations marking the 84th birthday of the 9th Thiksey Rinpoche, Nawang Jamyang Chamba Stanzin. Taklha’s wife who received the award on his behalf was presented with a commemorative citation and medal acknowledging his “integrity, discretion, and wisdom” in carrying out responsibilities linked to the Dalai Lama’s global engagements and the Tibetan cause.
According to the citation issued by Thiksey Rinpoche, the award was instituted in 2016 to honour individuals who have rendered exceptional service to the Dharma, the Tibetan community, and the Himalayan region. His Holiness the Dalai Lama was the inaugural recipient of the recognition, making Taklha only the second person to receive the honour.
The citation praised Taklha’s more than three decades of dedicated service, stating that those who work quietly behind the scenes often remain unrecognised despite forming “the foundation upon which many important efforts stand.” It further noted his role in navigating politically sensitive responsibilities, diplomatic engagements, and matters concerning the wellbeing and daily affairs of the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Born into a Tibetan exile family, Taklha spent part of his early childhood in Switzerland before moving to the United States with his family in 1970. In 1978, the family returned to India and settled in Dharamshala, where he studied at the Tibetan Children’s Village school. Despite initially struggling with the Tibetan language after growing up abroad, he excelled academically and later graduated from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi in 1988.
Following his graduation, Taklha who is a nephew of His Holiness the Dalai Lama briefly worked at the Private Office of the Dalai Lama before moving to the United States for graduate studies in Foreign Service at Georgetown University. During his time in the US, he became actively involved with the International Campaign for Tibet and played an instrumental role in coordinating the resettlement of 1,000 Tibetan refugees in the United States under a special immigration programme approved by the US Congress in 1990.
In 1995, Taklha joined the Private Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as Chief of Security. After undertaking professional security training in the United States, he formally assumed his duties in Dharamshala in 1996. Over the years, his responsibilities steadily expanded, and in 2014 he was appointed Secretary to the Dalai Lama while continuing to oversee security arrangements and the overall coordination of the Dalai Lama’s activities and engagements.
Widely regarded as one of the closest aides to the Tibetan spiritual leader, Taklha has accompanied His Holiness on numerous international visits and has remained a key figure within the Private Office, helping manage the increasingly demanding schedule and responsibilities surrounding the Nobel laureate’s public and spiritual life.
Receiving the honour at Thiksey Monastery, Taklha was recognised for what the citation described as a lifetime of “quiet dedication” and unwavering commitment to the aspirations of the Tibetan people and the enduring vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
