Tibetan prayer flags hang from South Indian trees. Faces change from South Indian to Tibetan. And then two Buddhist monks pass by on a scooter, their red robes flying in the wind. Welcome to the Tibetan settlements of Bylakuppe.
Driving into Bylakuppe feels like entering a little piece of Tibet in the middle of South Indian countryside and its coconut groves and rice fields. There is “The Lhasa Café”, and a simple rooftop restaurant serves Tibetan momos, meat-filled dumplings.
Home for Tibetan Exiles in South India
There are several Tibetan settlements in the South Indian state of Karnataka, established in 1969-1970 to give a home to Tibetans exiles who had fled their country after the Chinese occupation. There are currently approximately 100 000 Tibetans living in exile in India. Although the Tibetan Government in Exile is based in Dharamsala in the state of Himachal Pradesh, thousands of Tibetans are living in Karnataka. The area of Bylakuppe, near the town of Kushalnagar and approximately 85 km from Mysore, is home to several settlements as well as the Tibetan Buddhist Golden Temple.
Most families living in the settlements make at least part of their living from agriculture, but supplement their income by running shops and restaurants and selling handicrafts and souvenirs to visitors.
Visiting the Golden Temple in Bylakuppe
The main tourist attraction in Bylakuppe is the stunning Golden Temple. Stepping inside the temple feels like walking into another world, and the noisy streets of South India suddenly seem to be very far away. Three beautiful golden Buddha statues look down at visitors above the altar. The walls are adorned with colourful paintings depicting gods and demons from Tibetan Buddhist mythology. The altar is decorated with flowers, candles and incense, and small birds, nesting amongst the golden statues, fly happily around the temple.
Nearby, the Sera Jey Monastery keeps Tibetan Buddhist culture alive in Bylakuppe. There are also several stores around the temple area that sell Tibetan jewellery, handicrafts, incense and souvenirs.
How to Get to Bylakuppe in Karnataka
Bylakuppe is situated near the town of Kushalnagar on the Mysore-Madikeri road. There are buses to Kushalnagar from Mysore and Madikeri, although many visitors rent a car and make a day trip from Mysore to Bylakuppe.
Tourists can only visit the temple and the monastery during the day. To stay overnight at the monastery or the settlements, tourists need a Protected Area Permit (PAP) that has to be applied several months in advance and is issued by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi.
