M A I N   N E W S

Karmapa shifted to safer place
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Jan 9 — The 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorjee, who arrived here in McLeodganj after fleeing from Tibet, was shifted to the Gyuto Tantric Monastery in Sidhbari, on the outskirts of the town, in the wee hours today.

The shifting of the Karmapa, who is the religious head of the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism, was done around five in the morning. Since his arrival in McLeodganj, the headquarters of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, the Karmapa, along with his elder sister, had been residing in “Chonor House”, a guest house owned by the Department of Religion and Culture, located close to the palace of the Dalai Lama.

Tibetan security personnel, along with the Indian intelligence officials and the local police had been looking for a safer place for the Karmapa. He was driven to the monastery along with the six others who accompanied him from Tibet, in a convoy of six vehicles under tight security.

The Gyuto Tantric University, where he has been shifted, is still under construction and so far only the main monastery has been completed. After his arrival at the monastery, monks from the Sholing and Rangtung monasteries in Bir, near Baijnath, reached there with fruit and other offerings for the Karmapa.

It was for the second time yesterday that the Karmapa met the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, since his arrival in McLeodganj. Despite the Dalai Lama being in retreat, a period when he does not meet anybody, the Karmapa had an audience with him yesterday afternoon. The Dalai Lama shall remain in retreat till March 9.

Meanwhile, the senior officials of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile are in constant touch with the Indian Government, over the issue of granting political asylum to the Karmapa and the six others who accompanied him. When asked about the future plans of the Karmapa, Tibetan officials refused to comment.