Tibet, the name itself conjures up exotic images and tales; this country is least explored by outsiders, and is surprisingly, still out of bounds for most of the world! Fortunately however, one does not need to travel all the way to Tibet to get a taste of what it is like. Close to Kushalnagar in Coorg is Bylakuppe, the second largest Tibetan settlement in India!

Bylakuppe is the location of “Lugsum Samdupling” (established in 1961) and “Dickyi Larsoe” (established in 1969), two adjacent Tibetan refugee settlements. These settlements were established on land leased by the state government to accommodate some of the Tibetan refugees who came to resettle in India after 1959. Bylakuppe is comprised of a number of agricultural settlements /small camps close to each other, and has several monasteries, nunneries and temples in all the major Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Most notable among them include the large educational monastic institution Sera, the smaller, Tashilunpo monastery (both in the Gelukpa tradition) and Namdroling monastery (in the Nyingma tradition).

Interiors of the Golden Temple at Bylakuppe, Coorg

The most famous monastery among these is the Namdroling Monastery, popularly known as the Golden Temple. In the main building, one can see three huge statues, all arrayed with gold cladding, with Buddha displayed in the center, flanked by Guru Rinpoche on the left and Buddha Amitayus on the right. The walls are adorned with a lot of beautiful frescos. Fascinatingly, this is a ‘living’ monastery and one can see the monks go about their daily lives here.

A Beautiful Fresco Adorning the Wall of the Golden Temple

Kudos to this small slice of Tibet in India!

Vikram Nanjappa

Following a Bachelor's degree in history and political science from St. Stephen's College, New Delhi, Vikram joined the tea plantations. Vikram’s first exposure to wildlife came through the shikar tales he heard from his friends while studying in Mayo College, Ajmer. Vikram spent 13 years in the Dooars, West Bengal where he got ample opportunities to indulge in his twin hobbies of wildlife and photography. In 2002, he shifted base to Kabini to take up wildlife full time.

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