He got his opportunity in April 1959 when the 14th Dalai Lama, dodging the Chinese army, crossed over to India and reached Tawang. Wangdi had a few occasions to see the Dalai Lama as a minor from close. “I had goosebumps as I saw the Dalai Lama, a youth of 24 years, approaching Tawang in 1959. But I kept my emotion in check to be his bodyguard and escort him to Bomdila,” Wangdi said. After a seven-day stay in Bomdila, the Dalai Lama bid adieu to Wangdi as he proceeded to New Delhi via Tezpur in Assam.

Source: Hindustan Times April 09, 2017 15:00 UTC