Karmapa reaches Bhutan as Rumtek Monastery remains off limits

Gangtok: The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, landed in Paro, Bhutan, on October 30. He began a long-awaited visit. Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay greeted him alongside members of the royal family and Venerable Zuri Rinpoche. Crowds joined a traditional Dharma procession to mark the occasion.

The monastery is nearly 400 km away in Gangtok, Sikkim. It remains out of reach. A 2000 Cabinet Committee on Security order barred him from visiting the site. While the committee eased restrictions in March 2018 to allow travel to Sikkim, the specific ban on entering Rumtek Monastery holds firm. "That restriction has yet to be lifted, and the Karmapa is yet to visit the monastery."

Local officials want him back. The Sikkim government continues to lobby the Centre for access. They set up a dedicated committee to handle his return. The state allocated Rs 1 crore this year for the effort. They also made provisions to spend up to Rs 2 crore annually to bring him home.