Namdroling Monastery – The Golden Temple at Bylakuppe
Namdroling monastery, the golden temple, is a Buddhist spiritual abode. India is a country of diverse cultures and inclusiveness. It embraces people from different walk of life and religious faiths. But what is the end goal for all these people? To find the inner peace, be one with thyself, and the Tibetan Golden temple gives you just that. Unfortunately, it is one of the lesser known travel destinations in India. За да прочетете статията на български, можете да инсталирате плъгин Google Преводач от тук..
It was 2 a.m in the morning when I got in the bus with my photography and cinematography students. We were setting off on a three-day excursion to help them apply their skills in a real world under guidance and, more important, give them a break from classroom and studio sessions. For people who do not know, I was involved in teaching photography and cinematography for five years at a design and media school in Bangalore.
Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery, more popularly known as the golden temple, is one of the largest settlements of exiled Tibetans in India. It was established in 1963 by the 11th throne holder of the Palyul lineage, Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche.
How to get to the golden temple?
The easiest way would be getting to Bangalore and hiring a cab from there, or take one of the multiple buses by private service providers. By road, it is about 250 km from the city and close to a 5 hours drive depending on traffic situation. A lot of people prefer to start very early in the morning since the roads are mostly sans traffic. It depends on how you plan your trip, and both the routes have some interesting places to visit, which I will write about later.
What to wear?
It’s a holy place, so do respect the fact. Wear something light and loose since the weather is pretty warm, unless you visit in winter. The temperatures never go subzero, but can be chilly if it’s windy. Wear a good pair of walking shoes as you would be exploring the monastery and the small village around it. A cap would be a good idea with a bottle of water to keep you hydrated.
In and around Namdroling Monastery
We got close to Kushalnagar at the break of dawn. The weather was pleasant, a bit foggy, and one could smell the freshness in the air from the surrounding fields. Villagers on the way, especially farmers getting ready for their daily routine, going to the fields in their bullock carts, shepherds walking their herds. A hint of smoke going up in the air from households where preparations for the first meal of the day were underway. It felt such a welcome change from the smoggy, fast-paced city life that we are used to.
As you are about to enter the monastery, you start seeing monks around you, the young ones full of energy, giggling and smiling while the older ones with a sense of calm and peace around them. In between you hear the clanging of the prayer bells and the deep peaceful sound of hymns chanted by hundreds of monks. In the complex there are families of Tibetans and tourists alike who have come to offer their prayers and seek blessings and peace in life.
If you are lucky enough to be visiting during the morning prayers, you will get to see the prayer hall full of monks chanting on a backdrop of larger than life golden statues of Buddha, guru Padmasambhava and Buddha Amitayus. The largest one is an astounding 18.28 meters tall. The rays of lights entering through high up openings lighting up the statues casts an aura in the prayer hall.
While there are monks chanting the hymns, there are others sitting and listening to them. They are the epitome of attention and not distracted easily. For the photograph you see below, I had to wait at the door patiently for nearly an hour. This monk turned to see briefly what had created the loud clanging noise at the door of the prayer hall.
As you walk around the complex and the well maintained green gardens you get to see the library, the dorms for the monks, a long walkway with prayer wheels, and 16 Buddha stupas.
The prayer wheels are made out of metal and wood. At the core is a life tree, on which hundreds of mantras are written or wrapped around. On the cylinder itself, the most common mantra seen is “Om mani padme hum”. You will see a lot of people walking by these wheels, turning them as they move on. The spinning of the wheel has the same meritorious effect, as chanting the mantra yourself.
For the younger monks it’s not only about the teachings of Buddha, we saw a bunch of them playing football and doing what kids do the best, yelling and screaming. 🙂 But one has to say, that there is something quite endearing about the monks clad in their maroon robes, with clean-shaven heads, going about their tasks with a smiling face yet with a sense of urgency.
The inner walls of the halls are adorned with extremely detailed Tibetan paintings, the most renowned ones are of Mara the demon, Buddha achieving enlightenment after his victory over the demon and Buddhas various forms and avatars. The outer structures are ornate, with some exquisite metalwork on the doors.
Outside the monastery, you will find shops run by Tibetan families who sell locally made handicrafts, paintings, and souvenirs. If you are a foodie, do not miss the Tibetan fried and steamed momos and their local dish called Thupka. Trust me, it’s extremely flavorful and will leave you wanting more. Before you order the Thupka, do make sure you let them know if you do not want it spicy.:)
We spent close to five hours at the place and did not know how time flew by. Before we moved on to our next destination, I was left wondering are we chasing the wrong things in life? The monks and the Tibetan families around were so happy with so little. They were constantly smiling and were full of positive energy. If you have embarked on a spiritual journey, the Namdroling monastery, the golden temple is a must-visit place for you.
This is probably the place where the seed of “less is more” was sown in my mind. If you want to know more about the place, feel free to drop us a line.:) If you love beaches, read about the fascinating Gokarna beach here.
