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Regular-article-logo Friday, 10 October 2025

HAT KEPT OUT OF RUMTEK INVENTORY 

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FROM PEMA LEYDA Published 18.06.02, 12:00 AM
Gangtok, June 18 :    Gangtok, June 18:  Days after Orgyen Trinley Dorjee, claimant to the Rumtek throne as head of Kagyu Buddhism, gave his consent to the inventorisation of the Rumtek monastery's riches, the High Court of Sikkim issued new dates for the exercise. Hearing a petition by the monks' body and the joint action Committee of Buddhist organisations in the state, the high court gave five weeks from July 1 for the list of properties to be made. A court-appointed commissioner will undertake the process. The high court today also ordered that the black hat or the Vajra Mukut of the Karmapa should not be touched while preparing the inventory as it would hurt religious sentiments. This means that the hat wrapped in muslin inside a box will not be taken out for assessment. As a result, rumours that the Mukut was missing from the box will not be quashed, despite the inventory. Other properties bearing the seal and lock of the 16th Karmapa would also not be broken open, the court ordered. The inventory has to be made only on the movable properties listed under Schedule 'A'. The Mukut was gifted to the 5th Karmapa by Chinese emperor Yung Lo in the 15th century. It is studded with diamonds, rubies, gold and other precious stones. No one other than the Karmapa is supposed to touch the hat, which is believed to have magical powers. Items belonging to the earlier Karmapas and dating over 1,000 years would be in the list of the monastery's properties. Among other items under the Schedule 'A' are a precious thanka painting of Indian philosopher Atish Dipankar and a souvenir from Emperor Asoka. The lower court had appointed V.K. Sharma, regional director of the Reserve Bank of India, as the commissioner to undertake the inventorisation in October 2001. Though dates for the inventorisation were fixed, it could be taken up only after July 1 as pujas were on in the monastery till June end. The high court proposed that three persons from both the monks' body and the joint action committee had to be present during the proceedings. Six names agreeable to both the parties were proposed and passed in court. A petition by Shamar Rinpoche, a former regent who wanted to be present during the making of the inventory, was rejected. He is one of the respondents and a party with the Karmapa Charitable Trust, which proposed the inventory in the first place. Earlier, the commissioner had moved court citing his difficulties in undertaking the inventorisation. The state government, too, had apprehended law and order problems.    
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