Bylakuppe

Bylakuppe in Coorg of Karnataka is one of the many Tibetan settlements in India. To be precise, this was the first such refugee settlement established way back in 1961.

During the 1950s, thanks to the strained relation between Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities over Tibet, he fled to India seeking asylum. Also followed him was an exodus of refugees. Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister of India agreed to provide assistance to the refugees, in the form of settlements in some cooler regions of India.

Lugsung Samdupling, oldest of all Tibetan settlements in India came into existence in 1961 in Bylakuppe. The plan was to settle those fled to India, till a time arrives before their eventual return to Tibet. That did not materialize in any serious sense over the four to five decades.

State Highway 88 ( SH88 ) that connects Mysore – Madikeri – Mangalore passes via Kushalnagar, the nearest town for Bylakuppe.

But refugees kept coming steadily from Tibet. The camps slowly developed into larger settlements. Eight years later another settlement – Dickyi Larsoe – was setup next to the first settlemet. Now with a number of schools, nunneries, temples and monasteries, Bylakuppe looks more like an important center for the Tibetan Buddhism rather than a refugee settlement. Bylakuppe even houses one of the largest Buddhist universities called Sera Monastic University. There are many monasteries practicing various traditions of Buddhism.

Nyingma tradition.

However from a visitor’s perspective it’s a pleasantly surprising cultural landscape in this part of the country. The most popular among the tourists is the so-called Golden Temple, located inside the large Namdroling

Nyingmapa Monastery.

Hundreds of Buddhist monks live here. While the exterior of the new Zangdokpalri temple temple looks majestic with a majestic rainbow arch, the interior of the Golden temple next to it is awe-inspiring. The path to the Zangdokpalri temple passes through a sprawling garden. Around the garden are the residential quarters of the monks.

The temples are painted richly with saturated bright colours. The walls are intricately decorated with repetitive patterns and murals of Tibetan Buddhist themes. The altar of the Golden Temple contains the imposing golden images of Guru Padmasambhava (on your left), Buddha Sakyamuni and Amitayus ( on your right). Outside the Golden temple are a small shrine and a garden in front of it. The path that goes towards the back of the Golden temple leads to a huge open field. At one end of this ground is a long row of the prayer wheels. Baring the geography every bit of the ambient emulates a piece of Tibet in India.

Tourists are welcomed to visit the monasteries and temples. Photography is allowed even inside the temple. However follow the etiquettes and courtesies deemed for a place of worship.

There’s a large parking area near the Golden Temple. A shopping arcade next to it houses many curios shops and restaurants. There are not many hotels in Bylakuppe, though there are some guesthouse accommodation part of the Monastery. Better options for stay are available at Kushalnagar and Madikeri in that order.