Karmapa visits Kalimpong, Part 2

May 1, 2025

On the third day of his stay in Kalimpong, the 23rd of April, Karmapa visited the Karmapa Center of Education (KCE), located at about 20 minutes’ drive from Diwakar Buddhist Academy.

KCE is a model school, with a unique curriculum combining traditional Buddhist teachings and monastic rituals with the Indian state school curriculum, taught in a holistic framework.

Karmapa was given a guided tour of the premises and shown the new features developed since his last visit in early 2023, such as the library with the adjoining garden and a table dedicated to relics of His Holiness the 14th Shamar Rinpoche, the art room, the newly finished guest rooms and the foundations for a new dormitory for some of the older students.

On his way to KCE, Karmapa also visited Karma Shedrup Ling, a monastic compound originally established by Choje Lama Pema Sangmo, who welcomed Karmapa with great enthusiasm and showed him around the premises. During his visit to Karma Shedrup Ling, Karmapa performed a short consecration ceremony (Tib: Rabne) for the big Buddha statue in the main shrine room.

On the 24th of April, Karmapa participated in the concluding session of the longevity practices accumulated over the course of five days by the entire monastic sangha, and dedicated to his long life and Dharma activity.

Every day during Karmapa’s visit to Kalimpong many groups of local practitioners and devotees come to pay their respects to him and receive his blessings and Dharma advice.

Please enjoy this selection of pictures from these days.