Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
BYLAKUPPE
Tiny Bylakuppe, 5km southeast of Kushalnagar, was among the first refugee camps set up in South India to house
thousands of Tibetans who fled from Tibet following the 1959 Chinese invasion. Over 10,000 Tibetans live here
(including some 3300 monks), making it South India's largest Tibetan settlement. The atmosphere is heart-warm-
ingly welcoming, and home to much festivity during the
Tibetan New Year
(Bylakuppe; Feb) celebrations.
The area's highlight is the atmospheric
Namdroling Monastery
(
www.palyul.org
)
, home to the jaw-drop-
pingly spectacular
Golden Temple
(Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara; 7am-8pm), presided over by three
18m-high gold-plated Buddha statues. The temple is at its dramatic best when prayer is in session and it rings out
with gongs, drums and the drone of hundreds of young monks chanting. You're welcome to sit and meditate; look
for the small blue guest cushions lying around. The
Zangdogpalri Temple
(
7am-8pm), a similarly ornate af-
fair, is next door.
Foreigners are not allowed to stay overnight in Bylakuppe without a Protected Area Permit (PAP) from the
Ministry of Home Affairs in Delhi, which can take up to five months to process. Contact the
Tibet Bureau Of-
fice
( 11-26474798;
www.tibetbureau.in
;
New Delhi) for details. Daytrippers are welcome to visit, however,
and many base themselves in nearby Kushalnagar. If you have a permit, the simple
Paljor Dhargey Ling Guest
House
( 258686;
pdguesthouse@yahoo.com
; d from ?350) is opposite the Golden Temple. There are many
hotels in Kushalnagar, including
Iceberg
( 9880260544; Main Rd; s/d from ?550/750), with clean functional
rooms, and located next door to a good veg restaurant.
For delicious momos or
thukpa
(noodle soup), pop into the Tibetan-run
Malaya Restaurant
(momos ?60-90;
7am-9pm).
Autorickshaws (shared/solo ?10/40) run to Bylakuppe from Kushalnagar, 5km away. Buses frequently do the
34km run to Kushalnagar from Madikeri (?40, 1½ hour) and Hassan (?98, four hours). Most buses on the Myso-
re-Madikeri route stop at Kushalnagar.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Belur & Halebid
08177 / ELEV 968M
The Hoysala temples at Halebid (also known as Halebeedu) and Belur (also called Beluru)
are the apex of one of the most artistically exuberant periods of ancient Hindu cultural de-
velopment. Architecturally, they are South India's answer to Khajuraho in Madhya
Pradesh and Konark near Puri in Odisha (Orissa).
Only 16km lie between Belur and Halebid; they are connected by frequent buses from
6.30am to 7pm (?20, 40 minutes).
To get here you'll need to pass through the busy transport hub of
Hassan
- easily acces-
ible from Mysore and Bengaluru, with buses departing every half-hour to Mysore (?96,
three hours), Bengaluru (semideluxe/deluxe ?155/340, four hours) and Mangalore (?150,
