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Sikkim (pron. Sik-im) is the 22nd state of India since April 26th,1975 when it was incorporated into the Indian Federation after a referendum in which an overwhelming majority agreed to it. The last Buddhist ruler or Chogyal, Tashi Namgyal, died in 1963.
Gyurme Namgyal (1703-1732) the fourth Chogyal, had a special connection to the 12th Karmapa.
The statues in the photo of the shrine room at Rumtek are of the 16th Karmapa wearing the Black Vajra Crown, the Buddha in "earth-touching" pose, and the bodhisattva Manjushri wielding his sword of compassionate wisdom. That temple, named Dharmachakra by the 16th Karmapa, was the first built in Tibetan style in India and the model for many others, there and in other lands.
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Seat of Karmapa in India, the 