How many of us are aware of the fact that there is a Tibetan colony in Karnataka, India?
Well, the place is a Tibetan monastery located around 5 kilometres from Kushalnagar in the Coorg district of Karnataka. To get a glimpse of the vibrant Tibetan culture, one must visit the Namdroling Monastery, also known as the Golden Temple in Coorg. It is a calm and tranquil place with a spiritually charged atmosphere. After Dharamshala, this Tibetan colony is the second-largest Tibetan settlement in India.
The temple came to be known as the Golden Temple because of the three massive golden deities of Lord Buddha inside the temple. It is believed that the newspapers that reported the inauguration of the new temple referred to it as the Golden Temple. Tourists refer to the temple as the Golden Temple, as most of them don’t know its actual name. The signboards also indicate the temple to visitors as “The Golden Temple of Namdroling Monastery”. The three massive deities of Lord Buddha, namely, Padma Sambhav, Buddha Sakyamuni, and Buddha Amitayus, are the main attractions of the monastery. These deities are nearly 40 to 50 feet in height.
His Holiness Drubwang Padma Norbu Rinpoche established the monastery in 1963. The entrance of the monastery has a huge portrait of the founder. The walls of the temples are beautifully decorated with traditional Tibetan paintings, motifs, and inscriptions. Visitors admire the traditional Tibetan architecture and craftsmanship.
At the entrance of the monastery, flags of myriad colours sway in the gentle breeze to welcome the visitors. Visitors can comfortably park their cars in the spacious and well-organised parking area. The temple’s entrance has a large archway that leads to a beautiful and well-maintained garden.
The Indian government donated to the Tibetans in exile the entire monastery’s land area. The monastery is also a teaching center. Several thousand monks and nuns reside in the monastery, which has a school, a college, and a hospital. The serenity of the place touches the soul of every visitor and fills their mind with bliss and contentment. In addition to the calmness and tranquilly of the temples, the place also has shopping centres where visitors can enjoy shopping for traditional Tibetan items, relish Tibetan cuisine, and immerse themselves in the culture of Tibet while in Karnataka.
