Hungary tribute to Tibetan scholar - Alexander Csoma de Koros who died in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, March 26.TT: The Hungarian government is planning to erect a totem pole in town to mark the 170th death anniversary of philologist and orientalist Alexander Csoma de Koros who died in Darjeeling.

The totem pole was offered to the Hungarian government by the residents of Koros, the birthplace of the scholar.

The country’s ambassador to India will bring the pole here later this month.

Alexander’s tombstone is there on 18 Lebong Cart Road and it has been classified as a monument of historical importance by the Archeological Survey of India (Calcutta circle).

The Hungarian embassy and the ASI will organise a programme at the site from April 29 to May1 to commemorate the scholar’s 170th death anniversary.

Sources said the totem pole would be erected at a central point in town so that it can be of interest to the tourists visiting Darjeeling.

The Hungarian embassy will also beautify the place and put up a marble plaque where the scholar’s tombstone has been erected.

Amar Singh Rai, the chairman of the Darjeeling municipality, said: “We have received a request (from Hungary) to set up a totem pole here and we are pleased to grant them the permission. My understanding is that they would want the totem pole to be put up in the same area where the tombstone exists.”

Alexander had arrived at Ladakh in 1820 and studied the Tibetan language.

He read two encyclopedias in Buddhist literature, the Kangyur (100 volumes) and the Bstan gyur (225 volumes).

The compilation contains translation of Buddhist books that were taken to Tibet from India.

Alexander was considered one of those who compiled the first English-Tibetan dictionary that was published in 1824.

The scholar shifted to Calcutta in 1831 where he wrote a book on Tibetan grammar and compiled a dictionary in the language. He also catalogued Tibetan works in the library of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal in Calcutta.

Alexander stayed in Darjeeling on his way to Lhasa in 1842. During the stay the scholar suffered from malaria and he breathed his last on April 11 that year.