NAMDROLING MONASTERY BYLAKUPPE

About Namdroling Monastery Bylakuppe

Situated at 34 km distance from Coorg district, Namdroling Monastery is a popular spiritual centre and also among the best place in Coorg. This place is amongst Mysore’s largest teaching centres where you learn every aspect of Tibetan Buddhism. Amongst locals, this shrine is famous as the Golden Temple. 

The architecture of Namdroling Monastery is as attractive as its spiritual significance. You will witness some finest quality architectural and artwork styles. The elegance of the temple tower blends perfectly with the ornate outer walls. Finally, there are beautiful murals to add the finishing touch. 

Spread over a land stretched around 80 square feet, this place is carved out from bamboo. There are many auxiliary structures within, such as a hospital to take care of the health needs of poor and an educational institution to provide the right education to the needy. Besides, there are about 5000 Sangha community members here. 

Every day Namdroling Monastery welcomes thousands of visitors for religious and meditative purposes. Besides, the Namdroling Monastery officials also schedule for annual one-month retreat session. Locals highly recommend visiting Namdroling Monastery during this time. 

You can get yourself accommodated within the premises of Namdroling Monastery itself. Else, there are accommodations available at Paljor Dhargey Ling Guest House. Also, there are shops on the monastery grounds where you could find some fried noodles, breakfast, eggs, or milk tea. 

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Overview

Location: Namdroling Monastery is located at Arlikumari in Bylakuppe, Karnataka 571104. 

Opening Hours: You can visit Namdroling Monastery anywhere in between 07:00 am to 08:00 pm. 

Entry Fee: There are no entry fees to visit Namdroling Monastery. 

Best Time: It is good to plan your visit to the Namdroling Monastery between June to March. The weather is pleasant during this period, with temperature ranging between 20 to 22 degrees. Summers here extends from April to May. Even though the weather remains hot, the place is completely filled with visitors.

You can even plan your visit here on the birth occasion of Dalai Lama or during the Tibetan New Year. Peak monsoons and winters are not so recommended to visit Namdroling Monastery due to weather extremities. 

Average Temperature: The average annual temperature in Bylakuppe is 22.7 degrees. April is the warmest month in Bylakuppe while December is the one with the lowest average temperature. You can expect an average rainfall of 1027 mm. 

Distance from Coorg: Namdroling Monastery is at a distance of 34.3 kilometres from Coorg via NH275. You will require approximately 51 minutes to travel between Coorg and Namdroling Monastery.

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How to Reach Namdroling Monastery

By Rail: Krishnarajanagar is the nearest railway station to Namdroling Monastery. You can take a train from Ksr Bengaluru and get down at Krishnarajanagar. From here, you need to hire a cab to reach Namdroling Monastery. Cost – 1000 to 2000 INR per head.  

By Road: You can reach Namdroling Monastery either by bus or a taxi. Alternatively, you can go for a direct ride from Bengaluru to Namdroling Monastery at 5000 to 7000 INR per trip. 

By Bus: If you are planning to reach Namdroling Monastery by bus, you first have to be there at Bangalore. Bangalore has many buses to take you to the bus stop near Namdroling Monastery. 

From Bengaluru, you need to ride a bus to Kushal Nagar, and from there, you can hire a taxi to drop you to the Namdroling Monastery. Your bus and taxi trip will cost you around 600 to 900 INR per head.

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History of Namdroling Monastery

Namdroling Monastery’s establishment dates back to 1963 by Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche. He was the 11th throne holder of Palyul dynasty. Rinpoche himself went there for puja and accomplished all the menial tasks alone. During those times, the monastery had only 10 monks.

‘Namdroling’ is the short name for this monastery, which is famous amongst the locals. Namdroling Monastery’s original name is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling. Initially, the structure of the monastery was made from bamboo. It spanned across a land stretch of 80 square feet.

This place was carved from jungles and granted to the Tibetan exiles by the Indian Government. Sikkim Tibetan exiles used this place as a shelter during the second world war.  Constructors involved in building the monastery faced challenges of tropical dangers and rampaging elephants. Today, nearly 5000 monks are living here within the Namdroling Monastery. 

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Architecture of Namdroling Monastery 

Namdroling Monastery has a surreal setting. Built across a land stretch of 80 square feet, entrance of the monastery is flanked by lush greenery. You can see this lush greenery to be present on either side of the entrance. As you move in, there’s a massive portrait of Pema Norbu Rinpoche to welcome you.

Entrance is your gateway to the main shrine which homes to gold plated structures of Sukhayami, Padmanasambhava, and Amityas. This zone forms the chief or prayer zone of the Namdroling Monastery. Buddha’s statue here is around 60 feet high, and that of Buddha Amityas is approximately 58 feet.

Both figures shine in blue and golden tinge, reflecting a perfect blend of art and craftsmen from Tibet. There are small desks lined up all along the prayer hall. As you move on from the main structure, you will witness the presence of ornate bells.

The vibrant Tibetan paintings on the walls of Namdroling Monastery raises the overall aura and elegance of this beautiful shrine.

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Places to Visit near Namdroling Monastery

Dubare Elephant Camp – This is a forest-based elephant camp juxtaposed by the banks of Kaveri river. Here, you can mark the presence of Karnataka Forest Department’s elephants. 

Kaveri Nisargadhama Forest – This is a delta formed by Krishna river near Kushalnagar. Here, you can mark the presence of thick bamboo groves, teak and sandalwood trees. 

Chiklihole Reservoir – This is a small reservoir present across Chiklihole river which flows through the Cauvery river basin. One side of the reservoir is covered by a green meadow and the other side with lush green forests. 

St Sebastian Church, Abbey Falls, Raja’s Seat, Omkareshwara Temple, Madikeri Fort are some other nearby tourist attractions.

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Things to Do in/near Namdroling Monastery

Explore the architecture of Namdroling Monastery – Namdroling Monastery exhibits a unique architectural style dating back to 1963. The Buddha statues here stands high with a blue-gold tinge. Walls of Namdroling Monastery display the beauty of Tibetan style of painting. 

Offer Prayers at the main shrine – If you are highly religious or spiritual and a firm believer of Tibetan Buddhism, you simply can't miss on the opportunity to be a part of the prayer session here. Prayer session at the Namdroling Monastery is scheduled precisely at 01:00 pm every day. 

Explore Tibetan style food at the food stalls – The moment your stomach starts craving for some food, head towards the ground floor of the Namdroling Monastery. There are various food stalls there offering Tibetan style fried noodles, milk tea, eggs or some other breakfast.

If you are on fasting on the day of your visit, you can simply grab a fresh and tender coconut or grapes being sold at the main entrance. Paljor Dhargey Ling Guest House has a restaurant on its ground floor called Shanti Hotel. Here you can get some Indian meals.

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Other Important Information

1. Places to Stay 

Here are some best stay places near Namdroling Monastery – 

-Paljor Dhargey Ling Guest House: This guesthouse is run by a Tibetan community and is located very close to Namdroling Monastery. 

-Bota Royal (1180 INR): Here you will receive a free Wi-Fi service in every single room throughout the property. The rooms are air-conditioned with a common seating area.  

-Trippers Stay Coorg (533 INR): Tripper’s Stay Coorg provides 24-hours front desk service. Rooms are equipped with all the basic amenities you need to make your stay a comfortable one. 

-Saif Home Stay (255 INR): This homestay features 3 air-conditioned bedrooms, 1 bathroom with essential toiletries. There’s a restaurant, terrace, and a garden for your complete entertainment. 

-Maharaja Resorts (1500 INR); Maharaja Resort offers a front desk service for 24 hours, a terrace and a garden. You receive a free Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the property. 

-Golden Elite Motel (1000 INR): Every room here features a flat TV, private bathroom, and cable connection. You can also enjoy their free Wi-Fi service. Staff here is quite co-operative. 

2. Places to Eat 

-Tibet Kitchen: You can enjoy simple Tibetan and Chinese food here at the Tibet Kitchen. This place is worthy of your expenses. 

-Coffee Cup: This is located on the Madikeri – Mysore highway. You get to enjoy a wide array of organic coffee flavors here. 

-Top in Town: This place offers Asian and Indian style cuisines. Locals visit here to have their early morning breakfast.   

-Levista: The atmosphere at Levista will force you to fall in love with it. You will find a lot of snacks and drinks here. Traditional coffee is a must-try of this place. 

-Shathi Bites: This place is famous for Halal food and vegan options. The ambience is quite good. Tourists recommend this place for really good food.  

-Rangoli Multicuisine Restaurant: You will get a huge variety here. There are Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Asian, and Barbecue cuisines available.  

-Hotel Le Fortune: You can try this place for some non-vegetarian food varieties. 

3. Transportation facility

If you are travelling from Bengaluru, you have three different options before you go to the Namdroling Monastery – train, rickshaw, and taxi. Otherwise, you can opt for rickshaw drive if you are somewhere within Bylakuppe. 

4. Medical Facilities

Namdroling Monastery has its own healthcare centre known as Tsepal Tobkyed Hospital. This healthcare centre is popular amidst locals by the name TT hospital. The TT hospital homes to all modern western medical facilities to provide adequate support for poor people. 

5. Network Connectivity

You won’t be having any internet connectivity art Namdroling Monastery. So, you need to be ready for isolation from the rest of the world.

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