A Little Tibet in South India

Bylakuppe is a small Tibetan settlement in Karnataka, about 200kms from Bangalore. The settlement houses Tibetan refugees who were driven out of their homeland due to Chinese invasions in the 1960’s. The refugees have now settled down here, and made the place a mirror image of their Himalayan homeland. I visited this place on a grey rainy day, and for a while you would think that you’ve actually reached the Tibetan plateau in the distant Himalayas! The Buddhist monasteries outlined against the dark cloudy skies makes you forget that you’re actually in Southern India.

Entry to the main hall of the Namdroling Monastery

The most famous monastery here is the Namdroling Monastery, which is also known as "Golden Temple". The name probably comes from the gold-plated statues of Buddha’s inside.

Statues of Buddha (center), Guru Rimpoche (left), Buddha Amitabha (right)

A lion guards the entrance to the main hall

This place is wonderful, and quite worth a visit. Outside the temple complex on the narrow road leading up to the temple, there are small restaurants selling traditional Tibetan food.

Tibetan food