Sikkim bureaucrat forgoes civil service to promote Bhoti calligraphy

Darjeeling: Jamyang Dorjee Chakrisar, a bureaucrat, gave up the corridors of power for his love for the Bhoti (Tibetan) language and calligraphy. Having taken voluntary retirement from civil service in Sikkim, Chakrisar took up the herculean duty of promoting Bhoti calligraphy.

The Manjushree Centre of Tibetan Culture along with Tibetan Women's Association and Regional Tibetan Youth Congress as a part of the Central Tibetan Administration's "Thank You India 2018" programme for the first time put up a three-day exhibition on Bhoti Calligraphy in Darjeeling.

The exhibition was held at the Manjushree Centre and Darjeeling Chowrasta.

"The exhibition evoked immense response, specially among students and the youth. Many want to learn the nuances of this intricate art," stated Ngawang Tenzing Gyatso, President of the Manjushree Centre.

The programme also included an interesting talk by the Master calligrapher. "Bhoti, is the mother tongue of more than three million people living in seven states in the Himalayan regions ranging from Ladakh to

Arunachal Pradesh. It is like the lingua franca. Bhoti needs to be included in the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution," stated Chakrisar.

He stated that inclusion will not only mean national integration of the people of these far flung area but will also help promote a language that contributes in projecting the relevance of teachings of Nalanda.

Bhoti (Tibetan) language is one of the most impressive translation histories of the world. Starting in the 8th century and continuing for around 900 years,

they translated the entire Buddhist cannon, a body of work consisting of more than 4,500 texts and around 73 million words.

National Mission for Manuscripts states "Tibetan scripts have outnumbered all other languages barring Sanskrit, Odia and Hindi."

The collection of Buddha's teachings the Tripitaka, comprising 108 volumes and Tantras are available in Bhoti language and the names of all the volumes start with the word "Gyakar Keydhu" meaning "in the language of India."

"The translations have the potential to establish India as the Jagat Guru," stated Chakrisar. The script was developed by Thonmi Sambhota in 7th century Nalanda.

The Master Calligrapher has attended international level festivals in Japan, Bangkok, New York and will be attending the Congress of Calligraphy in France shortly.

"I also promote Devanagri and the Great Indian civilisation at these international meets. I want to promote Yigtsel (Bhoti Calligraphy) on the lines of Sufa of China and Shodo of Japan,"

he stated. He also holds the World record of creating the longest calligraphy scroll measuring 163 m in length with 65,000 characters using handmade Tibetan Lokta paper.

His work focuses on u-med style where brushworks are exhibited freely. His other innovation is the depiction of Buddhist deities in miniature calligraphy.