Dharamsala, June 26 – Gyuto Tantrik University, Sidhbari, near here, bore a festive look today as the day was being celebrated as the birthday of the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinlay Dorjee, who heads the Kagyu Karma sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
The Karmapa, who came to Dharamsala from Lhasa as a young boy of 15, turned 19 today. The birthday celebrations were not as elaborate as those last year and no invitations were sent.
Despite this, Tibetan lamas and nuns from nearby monasteries and Sherabling, known as an important centre of the Kagyu Karma sect, near Baijnath, started reaching Gyuto University premises since early morning. Soon foreigners and other followers also came to greet the Karmapa. Some followers of the Kagyu Karma sect were here from the Rumtek monastery in Sikkim, the main seat of the sect, to participate in the celebrations.
