Another Little Tibet

If you happen to be in Bangalore, take a short trip to the Bylakuppe Tibetan settlement

What Dharamsala is to north India, Bylakuppe is to the south of the country. A heady mass of green, the four-decade-old Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe is a little place, fortunately quite removed from the touristy frills of commercial enterprises, motels and eateries. Instead, what you get to savour are fresh, lush greens and a number of pretty monasteries.

The fun begins early, on the road to Bylakuppe. It’s a smooth road to drive, and an impossibly lovely stretch. There are plenty of buses from Bangalore (four and a half hours away by road) and Mysore (one and a half hours away).

 

Bylakuppe is just off the main road to the town of Kushalnagar, a short drive away from Coorg, the popular hill station. Bylakuppe officially houses Lugsum Samdupling and Dickyi Larsoe, two Tibetan refugee camps, home to a population of roughly 10,000.

As you drive into the settlement, the road meets a wide expanse of wheat and maize fields that stretch endlessly into the cloudy sky. The colourful flags typical of Tibetan settlements line the roads and are strung from the trees. It’s a spot best appreciated on a breezy or a rainy day, when Bylakuppe is like a hill station in the plains. In fact, the town can be visited any time of the year, with pleasant weather throughout.

Almost everyone who visits Bylakuppe finds the Golden Temple the most alluring of its monasteries, for its architecture. Beyond the prayer wheels and stupas lies the main hall of the monastery, an elegant building decorated with ornate, colourful thangka paintings. If you happen to go there during the evening prayer session, you will see a sea of maroon — more than 500 monks seated in neat rows, heads bowed in prayer. Their baritones come together in a single chant while the large golden Buddha statues tower overhead.

For all its unassuming charm, a visit to Bylakuppe doesn’t call for more than a few hours. There aren’t many viable options to stay overnight here, so it’s best to go just for the day. Do not rely on the food here if you are a fussy eater — you may only find momos, soupy noodles and junk food. Packing a few sandwiches and coolers might be a better option. Shoppers will find a memento or two at the tiny shopping complex — probably the only one in this township — adjacent to the Golden Temple premises. For others, the sea of green at Bylakuppe is what you could take back with you.