Mundgod — The official enthronement ceremony of 'Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Dorjee' as the 105th Gaden Tripa, Holder of the Gaden Throne, the title of the spiritual head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism was held on November 26, 2024 in Gaden Monastery in South India.
The ceremony was attended by the Abbots of the monastic institutions, Sikyong of the CTA, Tibetan MPs, representatives of the Tibetan communities and Tibetan non-governmental organisations.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama bestowed the responsibility of the 105th Ganden Tripa to Ven Lobsang Dorjee on November 2, 2024, as 'a lineage of distinguished masters spanning six centuries—the successors to the founder of the Geluk lineage, the great 14th century master Je Tsongkhapa, widely venerated as an emanation of Manjushri, the Buddha of Wisdom'.
The enthronement ceremony began at 6 am, November 26, 2024, Sharpa Choeje Rinpoche Jetsun Lobsang Dorjee entered the Ganden Assembly Hall with ceremonial umbrellas, incense, and traditional processions. Upon arrival, His Eminence performed initial prayers and offerings, lighting butter lamps and presenting ceremonial scarves to sacred relics. Subsequently, His Eminence was seated upon a high golden throne adorned with the Five Fearless Ones, officially inaugurating the assembly and commencing the ceremonial enthronement.
The monks from the Gaden Shartse and Jangtse monasteries chanted prayers, along with distinguished guests and devoted followers. The new Gaden Tripa then conferred teaching on Tsongkhapa’s lam-rim. On November 27, 2024, the entire Gelug school is scheduled to offer a long-live prayer to the 105th Gaden Tri Rinpoche.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Yangten Rinpoche, the Representative of Gaden Phodang(office of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama), Representative of Sakya Dolma Phodrang, Abbots and former Abbots from the monasteries, Members of the Tibetan Parliament, local government representatives, Monastic representatives and representatives from various non-governmental organisations attended the ceremony.
Every Gaden Tripa must excel in his studies and manners. He must graduate from one of the three great seats of Geluk monastic schools. After obtaining the rank of Geshe, he enrolls in one of the two tantric colleges, Gyuto and Gyumed, and gradually occupies the crucial monastic positions, first of all that of executor of discipline, then of assistant abbot and abbot of the respective college. Thereafter, they naturally became part of the line of succession to the throne, with the immediate successors in both lines of succession, called “Jangtse Choeje” on Gyumed's side and “Shartse Choeje” on Gyuto's side, ascending alternately to the throne.
