The etymology of the name "Ganju Lama" tells us that during the Chogyal period, sons of the Shangdarpa clan were expected to serve as monks.

[1] Ganju Lama was nineteen years old, and a rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles, in the Indian Army during World War II.

Ganju Lama, "on his own initiative with great attitude & coolness and complete disregard for his own safety", took his PIAT anti-tank weapon and crawled forward.

Despite a broken wrist and two other serious wounds to his right leg and left hand he then moved forward, succeeded in bringing the weapon into action within 30 yards of the enemy tanks, knocking out two of them (a third was taken out by an anti-tank gun).

[2] A month earlier, during operations on the Tiddim Road, Ganju Lama's yeshggb regiment had surprised a party of Japanese and killed several of them.