Karma Shri Nalanda Institute at Rumtek. Picture by Ashit Rai

Gangtok, Feb. 6: For the first time in Sikkimese history, all the post-graduate pass-outs of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute (KSNI) for Higher Buddhist Studies for the current academic session, are residents of the hill state.

After a rigorous 11-year course, five young men from here can claim to be masters in Buddhist philosophy and rituals, especially the principles of the Karma Kagyu sect of the religion. While Tenzing Namgyal, Karma Ngedon Gyatso and Lobsang Tenzing hail from Ralang in South Sikkim, Sonam Dorjee is from Tathangchen in Gangtok and Karma Dechen from Martam in East Sikkim.

The final exams were held recently and all the students of the five-strong batch ' Dorjee, Dechen, Namgyal, Gyatso and Tenzing ' came out with flying colours, taking on the acharya title. The qualification is equivalent to any other regular post-graduation degree, just that it takes a little bit more time than usual, said a source.

Now enlightened in Buddhist philosophies, the new acharyas have decided to give something back to the state ' they are set to take up teaching at shedas (monastic schools) and help aspiring monks achieve their goals.

The construction of the institute in Rumtek 'founded by the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje ' was started in 1980. In 1984, the institution was officially recognised by the Cabinet of the state government and its department of ecclesiastical affairs. Finally in 1987, it got its affiliation from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University of Varanasi, becoming an officially-accredited institution, though it maintained an independent administration. The university controls the annual examinations of the institution and with it jointly awards the acharya (Master of Buddhist studies) degrees to the students at the end of 11 years.

Two degree courses ' Acharya and Ka-rabjampa 'are being offered to the students of the KSNI. The Ka-rabjampa course (doctor of divinity) is taught in accordance with the 800-year-old educational system of the Karma Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

Tibetan literature, history, Pali, Sanskrit, Hindi, English, and philosophy are the other subjects that can be studied at the institute here.