BYLAKUPPE – A MINI TIBET IN SOUTH INDIA

 

Our stay in Madikeri was coming to an end. We had one free day as a cushion after completion of sightseeing before proceeding to our next destination, Mysore. The enchanting view of Nilgiris, cornucopia of flora and fauna, and the chilled weather impressed us with its aristocratic presence.

Our driver-cum-guide requested us to see one of the rarely visited places, just around 40 km from the headquarters of Coorg or Kodagu district called Bylakuppe. Since we had a whole day at our disposal; we accepted his request to utilize the spare day by exploring a new destination.

How is Bylakuppe

As we proceeded through the whispering woods, lush green meadows, our greed for a visit was enhancing in leaps and bounds. The meandering and undulating roads ultimately led us to a town that welcomed us with Tibetian prayer flags fluttering in tune with the gentle breeze on the sides of the road followed by the movement of monks in maroon and yellow robes. We just recollected our trip to Mcleodganj in Himachal Pradesh where His Holiness Dalai Lama resided after his exile from Tibet.

As we left the vehicle and started moving on foot, we found the entire new culture with tri-language signboards were written in Tibetian, English, and Kannada. The outlets were mostly managed by the Tibetian people where food, consumables, souvenirs, clothes, and dress materials were being marketed. The place was having a different aroma with happy faces of the population of different age groups, always smiling despite their horrendous past. They were found to be in a relaxing mood as if they had come out of all family knots, only devoted to their God.

History of Bylakuppe

Chinese attack on Tibet, in the early sixties, forced the local people to leave their place and settle in India and other parts of the world. His Holiness Dalai Lama with his disciples settled in Mcleoganj or Upper Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh which had been declared as the largest Tibetian settlement in India.

Since the settlement of Mcleodganj got saturated; the second phase of refugees came down to South India and settled in the hills of Nilgiris, converting the place into the second-largest Tibetian settlement in India. Though the settlement was restricted to around 12 sq km at the initial stage, later the periphery got extended with the increase of population. Despite the increase in population, the serenity and tranquility of the place did not get diminished; it rather flourished with a divine culture.

What are the places to see

Our first target was to visit Namdroling Monastery or locally popular as Golden Temple. It was the main attraction of the entire township. His Holiness 3^rd Drubwang Prema Norbu Rinpoche laid the foundation stone in 1963. It was consecrated by His Holiness Dalai Lama and the nomenclature was made by him. However, financial hardship delayed the work till 1979 and the personal and physical effort of Rinpoche converted to reality. The mesmerizing infrastructure and artwork attracted tourists from various corners of the world. The monastery started with just 10 monks now sheltered around 9000 monks and nuns. It had become a center of study on Buddhism. Buddhists from all over the world provided financial and moral support to grow it as a megastructure.

The center of attraction had helped to create few more monasteries like Drigung Kagyud Monastery, Sakya Monastery, Sera Je Monastery, and finally Tashi Lhunpo Monastery which was founded by His Holiness Dalai Lama in 2016.

It was not the concentration of monasteries that converted the location to a place with serene and tranquility, but the entire environment of the township seemed to be like holy land where the existence of sin, cruelty, misconduct could not be traced.

How to Reach

Bylakuppe is situated on NH-275 connecting Bantwal and Bengaluru touching Mysuru and Madikeri. The distance to Bylakuppe from Bengaluru is 222 km, Mysuru is 82 km and Mangalore is 172 km. It is also connected with Chennai and Kozhikode.

The nearest airport is Kannur which is around 75 km away from Bylakuppe and the nearest railway station is Krishnarajnagar which is around 58 km distance from the town. However, the major railway station is Mysuru. It is preferred to reach directly by road from Mysuru or Madikeri.     

Where to Stay

Plenty of hotels, hostels, homestays, and Airbnb rentals are available in the township which is of varied rates based on star ranking and facilities provided. The majority of the visitors especially pilgrims intend to stay near Namdroling Monastery, in the center of the town.  

My Experience

The beauty of a place was not the infrastructure, pomp, and gaiety but the manifestation of happiness of the people as seen in their faces. That was the reason for which Bhutan had been considered as one of the happiest countries despite their Gross Domestic Product or Per Capita Income was much below than that of the so-called wealthiest countries.

In other words, the place seemed to be a Vatican City of the Buddhist where the divine atmosphere persisted round the clock and the smiling faces would make you feel to have reached heaven where there was no existence of misery.