By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, Dec. 13: The organizers of the upcoming Kalachakra teachings announced that the donations and offerings during the teachings can be done without cash in light of the ongoing demonetization drive by the Indian government.
The organizing committee has made options such bank transfers, cheque payments, credit/debit card transactions as well as direct cash payments by devotees during the due-khor-wang-chen (wheel of time) teachings. Exile government run Tibet.net mentioned, “The committee urges everyone to strictly abide by the legal compliance regulation of the host country while making the donations.”
The upcoming edition of the Kalachakra is being organized by the exile government’s Kashag (cabinet) due to be held in Bodh Gaya from Jan. 3 through to Jan. 14 next month. The core organizing committee has PM Lobsang Sangay as the patron and Minister for Dept. of Religion and Culture, Karma Gelek Yuthok as the Chairperson. The 2016 Kalachakra which was to be organized by Kashag was cancelled due to the Dalai Lama’s health at that time.
Since the demonetization drive, many Tibetans including here in Dharamshala have been making multiple visits to their banks to amass cash for expenses during the pilgrimage. Donations account for a huge chunk of the expenses during the foremost Buddhist teachings. However, with the shortage of cash all over India, cashless options may serve to give a platform to devotees who wish to give donations although the viability of the cashless options is yet to be seen.
Kalachakra is the foremost Tibetan Buddhist teaching presided over by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 1954, the first teachings were held in Norbulingka and the last in 2014 in Ladakh where over 1,50,000 pilgrims attended the teachings.
