Dr Yeshi Dhonden, former physician of Dalai Lama, passes away in Dharamshala

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Dr Yeshi Dhonden, a renowned Tibetan doctor and former personal physician of the Dalai Lama, passed away in the early hours of Tuesday in McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh. He was 92.

A family member said that Dhonden complained of respiratory difficulties on Monday, after which they called Dr Tsetan Dorji of Delek Hospital for consultation.

Aside from the respiratory problem, he had no other health issues. He died at home today at 2:53 am, with family members at his bedside, the family member said.

The cremation will take place on Friday morning in McLeodganj.

Born on May 15, 1927, Dhonden was a practitioner of traditional Tibetan medicine.

At the age of 11, he joined the Chakpori Institute of Tibetan Medicine, in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, where he studied for nine years.

After the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, he accompanied the 14th Dalai Lama to India and lived in Dharamshala.

Dhonden was appointed director and chief medical officer when the Dalai Lama started Men-Tsee-Khang, a charitable institution, in Dharamshala in 1961. He served in that capacity till 1966.

The elderly monk served as the personal physician to the Dalai Lama from 1963 to 1980.

Dhonden started his own private clinic in McLeodganj in 1969. He is best known for curing cancer patients, who have shared their testimonies of the success of his treatment.

Last year, the Government of India honoured the elderly monk with the Padma Shri, the country's fourth highest civilian award.

He ended his practice in April this year due to advancing age and declining health.

Dhonden has authored three books - Health Through Balance: An Introduction to Tibetan Medicine (1986), Healing from the Source: The Science and Lore of Tibetan Medicine (2000), and The Ambrosia of Heart Tantra (2006).