Bylakuppe: Karnataka’s mini Tibet

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Overview: Bylukuppe has one of the largest Tibetan settlements in South India. This place is known for the Golden temple or Namrodoling monastery. Being easily accessible by road, this place is visited by many people who visit Coorg. We got a chance to visit Bylakuppe when we were on a trip to Periyapatna to visit my wife’s grandmother’s house.
The approach road is lined with Buddhist prayer flags tied to the wires and one can see people of Tibetian origin walking along the roads in their traditional dress.
The inside hall is dedicated to the Lord Padmasambhava. The temple is gold plated and is built in a typical Buddhist style. Outside the monastery there is a Buddhist University which has been established for higher studies and there are shops where many memoirs and Buddhist handicrafts could be purchased. Being near to the Kodagu district, this place enjoys cool and pleasant climate throughout the year. Inside the temple we have a series of prayer wheels which are to be turned clockwise indicating that one has actually recited the prayers.
       

How to reach: By Car/Bike: Head towards Mysore road on SH12 and after Srirangapatna turn right towards Ilvala to join Mysore-Madikeri road. Continue on that road to reach Bylakuppe. From the highway, turn left at Bylakuppe to reach the Golden temple.
By Bus: The KSRTC buses towards Madikeri drops at the State highway, Bylakuppe. Local autos ferry passengers to the Golden temple from the main road.
Map:

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Comments

  1. Padmapriya TS27 November 2011 at 20:06

    Awesome post and lovely pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Arti28 November 2011 at 10:28

    Wow! I love visiting monasteries. I find them very serene and peaceful. Lovely pics, thanks for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous28 November 2011 at 14:29

    nice travelogue enriched with photos...

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sudhagee28 November 2011 at 17:09

    I have not been to this part of Karnataka yet, and one more place has been added to my bucket list. Your post and the pictures are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. S.R.Ayyangar28 November 2011 at 19:11

    Beautiful place to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Arun28 November 2011 at 20:02

    Thank you all for the encouraging words!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sujatha Sathya29 November 2011 at 09:00

    this is a truly beautiful place in coorg.a must visit. i have been here twice & loved it

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ramakrishnan30 November 2011 at 00:18

    Nice pictures and commentary on a little known Tibetan Buddhist settlement.Beautiful place. Padmasambhava I presume was a disciple of Buddha. Are Bylekuppa golden temple & university contemporary structures established after China captured Tibet leading to an influx of refugees into India?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Arun30 November 2011 at 19:47

    Exactly.. Yes Padmasambhava was the 8th century sage who preached Buddhism in Tibet and China.. And Bylakuppe is another settlement of the Tibetian refugees set up in the 1960s.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bylakuppe

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nisha1 December 2011 at 23:53

    I haven't visited Karnataka much, let alone this place.
    Your photos are very beautiful and tempting me to go there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. ashok2 December 2011 at 14:58

    very interesting and informative blog...cheers!

    ReplyDelete
  12. S.. Diva3 December 2011 at 00:27

    wow.. good stuff. incidentally, i was planning a post about Byalkuppe as well :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hai Baji30 January 2013 at 16:02

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

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