Union Home ministry allows 17th Gyalwa Karmapa to visit Sikkim

SNS, Gangtok, 29 December 2013: The Union Home ministry has given its consent to allow the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorjee visit Sikkim during the month of January, next year.

Claiming to have succeeded in convincing the centre to give it go ahead, State Congress president Kunga Nima Lepcha today said he had been consistent with the demand which now needs a formal approval from the ministry.

Mr Lepcha claimed Congress general secretary Luizhino Falerio communicated the demand to home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who assured to allow Karmapa to visit Sikkim.

“We are waiting for the formal approval from the Union Cabinet which we expect to happen in the first week of January”, said the SPCC president.

After the approval, Mr Lepcha added a SPCC team will call on the Karmapa, present in Bihar’s Bodh Gaya for a religious congregation.

"We have asked for Karmapa’s 10-day stay in Sikkim, which is however unconfirmed," he said.

Orgyen Trinly Dorjee, the head of Karma Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism will however stay away from Rumtek, his real spiritual seat.

During his visit, he is expected to visit Phodong Monastery and perhaps also other monasteries like Tashiding, Ralang and other monastery of the State.

It is learnt that the Karmapa is not visiting Rumtek Dharma Chakra centre primarily due to a controversy surrounding the Karmapa’s title and the right to the throne there.

The Karmapa hasn’t been able to visit Sikkim due to the controversy and Mirik is the nearest place where he has visited to perform pujas in the past few years.

The Karmapa controversy has emerged due to Rumtek Monastery with two rival organisations, each supporting a different candidate for the 17th Karmapa, claiming stewardship of the monastery and its contents.

The two organisations are the Tsurphu Labrang (supporting Ogyen Trinley Dorje) and the Karmapa Charitable Trust (supporting Trinley Thaye Dorje).