rediff.com: Rumtek's main treasure room finally opened

The inventory-taking process of the Rumtek monastery's fabulous wealth entered a significant chapter on Saturday as the Reserve Bank of India

official accompanied by representatives of the monastery and Karmapa Charitable Trust entered the main treasure room to carry out the count of precious articles kept there.

The main treasure room, located on the first floor where the 'vajra mukut' (the sapphire-studded black crown of the Karmapa) was believed to have been kept along with other precious articles, was opened by RBI regional director Vinod K Sharma, a court appointed commissioner, in the presence of the representatives of both the parties after a duplicate key was made.

The room was last opened in May 1992 when a high Lama from the Sakya sect of Buddhism entered there to see the 'sacred prediction letter' of the previous Karmapa for choosing his 'genuine' successor, sources at Rumtek said.

The locked treasure room - key to which was found missing - had put a question mark over the court-ordered inventory process of the monastery as the Commissioner initially appeared reluctant to break open the seal. It was only after a joint application was filed by both the parties to the Sikkim high court on Friday and subsequent order by Chief Justice Ripusudan Dayal, the room was opened.

The inventory-taking, which began on Monday last, was to be completed by Saturday as per the schedule given earlier by the Commissioner to both the parties. Counting of other items of the monastery was already done by the RBI official.

That the main treasure room, a stumbling block in the process, would be opened Saturday morning was conveyed by the RBI official to both the parties at the end of his Friday's exercise.

At the time of opening the room, the Rumtek monastery authorities were represented by aide-de-camp to the 17th Karmapa claimnant (Urgyen Thinley Dorjee) Phuntsok Lama, general secretary of Tsurphu Labrang (main administrative body) Tenzing Namgyal and lawyer Naresh Mathur.

For the Karmapa charitable trust, Gyanjyoti Kansakar (trustee) and lawyer S S Hamal were present. N Dorjee, special secretary of state ecclesiastical department, represented the Sikkim government.



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