The Tibetan Settlements in Bylakuppe

by Satu on 27. Jul, 2010 in destinations

I once got told off by a monk in Bylakuppe. My friends and I were innocently looking around the Golden Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist temple in Bylakuppe in South India’s Karnataka, when a maroon-robed young monk approached us and after finding out we were yoga students from Mysore, started testing us about why we are studying yoga and what our “goal” was for our yoga studies.

Turns out, I don’t really have a “goal”. After ten years of Ashtanga yoga, I just practice. That’s pretty much it. Not good enough for the young monk, however, who proceeded to give us a lecture about how important it is to have “goals”. In yoga, of all things.

Bylakuppe Tibetan Settlements

Bylakuppe, around 85 km from Mysore in Karnataka, is a little piece of Tibet in the middle of South Indian countryside. Thousands of Tibetans live in exile here: the Lugsum Samdupling and Dickyi Larsoe settlements were established in the 1960’s to give a home to Tibetans who had escaped their homeland after the Chinese occupation. There are several agricultural settlements and small camps in Bylakuppe. Although many families make at least some of their income from farming, tourist-orientated businesses from restaurants to handicraft shops are blossoming.

The main tourist attraction is the beautiful Golden Temple; a strangely Tibetan Buddhist experience in South India. There are several Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Bylakuppe, although most foreigners visit the Sera monastery. Around the temple Tibetan restaurants offer momos and other Tibetan specialities, and shops sell Tibetan handicrafts, incense, jewellery and souvenirs.

Travelling to Bylakuppe

Foreign tourists are only allowed to visit the Golden Temple and the Sera Jey Monastery on daytrips. If you intend to spend a night in the settlements, you should get a Protected Area Permit (PAP). If you think you do need a permit, find out about appropriate permits several months in advance.

There are a few accommodation options in the nearest town, Kushalnagar. An easy way to visit Bylakuppe is to stay in Mysore and take a bus, or rent a car with a driver for a daytrip. If you are travelling between Mysore and Madikeri in Coorg, Bylakuppe makes an easy stop on the way.