Tibetans in South India- An outsider’s View

It was an unconventional holidaying when we have decided up on a visit to the 3 major Tibetan settlements – Doeguling in Mundgod, Lugsung Samduping in Bylakuppe and Dbondenling in Kollegal-- in Karnataka to understand a little about the lives of Tibetans in exile. We started with Doeguling Settlement in Mundgod, which is an hour’s drive from Hubli, Dharward district.


This camp started in 1970 in the forest land provided by the Karnataka government. The first generation began their life with cultivation and poultry. And when family size grown and crops failed due to the unpredictable monsoon, depending entirely up on agricultural income became not viable; the second generation began to look out for some work for additional income.

As one enters the Tibetan settlements, a different world- culture milieu -open before you. You no longer feel that you are inside India. Huge colourful monasteries with stupas, monks attired in bright red and yellow robes in all ages and people speak an alien language. In a drive through the settlements, you see acres of agricultural land, small houses, every house growing some fruit bearing trees and colourful prayer flags decorating the courtyards. There are hospitals (including Tibetan medicines), schools, post office, shops etc. Young men and women were seen in modern dresses while old ones in the traditional Tibetan dress.
Interior of a monastery

Last 40 years they were trying to root themselves in an unfamiliar country fighting with extreme summer and finding livelihood while keeping their tradition and culture alive. Even the children are oriented about the Chinese atrocities, the exile of Dalai Lama in 1959 and how they were forced to leave Tibet. Dalai Lama’s leadership is indisputably accepted by every one. There are even many stories and songs about Tibet and Dalai Lama.

There were 9 camps (settlements are divided in to camps) at Mundgod and most of them have monasteries-big or small. These monasteries have some agriculture land where the monks work; needless to say this is inadequate in the context the number of refugees grows year after year but land remains the same.


Monasteries are colourful and marvel architecture pieces. Interior of monasteries are almost similar -big Buddha statues along with other important religious leaders and a photo of smiling Dalai Lama. On the altar you will see hundreds of small Buddha on the wall. In the huge prayer hall, there are many red cushions all put it rows where the monks sit and pray. Interior is so colourful-red, yellow, maroon and saffron- but significantly and peacefully decorated.

The main and the biggest temple was Gaden Jangtse Datsang. It was the day of exam for the monks when we visited the monastery. The monasteries teach Tibetan, Mathematics, English and religious lessons (Buddhist studies). Debates are very much part of the study. It was very interesting to watch the debates despite the language. Debate is also a test to measure the knowledge of monks in the religious books/scripts. The person who conducts the debate clap in a particular way. You will hear huge laughter when the discussant stumble up on some points and not able to proceed further.

We have visited a few representatives of Tibetan Government in exile which is very active in taking care of the refugees. People were very hospitable and warm. Butter (originally yak butter, now locally available butter) tea, a specialty of Tibetans, was plenty. Houses were small and the interior of every house looked similar - 3 or 4 cots according to the size of the room and a thick and colorfully woven carpet on the cot. Making beautifully designed carpets is a Tibetan art: still some people keep the weaving alive.

There are small shops with Tibetan artifacts and Tibetan eateries. We were taken to a place for lunch by Gela (Tibetan master) which was started a part of their new vegetarian movement. Though staunch Buddhists, Tibetans are non vegetarians and even the monks eat meat. Gela explained this to us. In Tibet, due to the hostile climate not much vegetables grow there; hence for the nutritional point of view, they have to compensate it with meat which was plenty and cheap. However, he said, in India, it is easy to follow vegetarianism due to availability of all vegetables, but it will take some more time to replace beef mo moss to potato and greens mo moss

Tenzin Kunga Luding, a Tibetan youth began the vegetarian movement along with like minded people and they are a registered society as Dalai Lama as its Patron-In-Chief.
They bring out magazines and show video films to propagate the idea of vegetarianism. This small eating place began as a part of this movement and you will get all Tibetan delicacies like Thuppa and mo moss, but vegetarian. The Kalachakra-2006, the kumba Mela of Tibetans, for the first time, only vegetarian food was served.

Our next point was Bylakuppe, Lugsung Samduping oldest and biggest Tibetan settlement which falls under Mysore district. Here we have got accommodation at Sera je, (A Tibetan lodging place) at a reasonable rate. This place is built for people who come here to visit and learn Tibetan culture. The famous Golden Temple is the main attraction of Bylakuppe and people from other beliefs also visit this temple. Our visit was on the concluding day of one weeks’ prayer (they call it Amrit Dev Pooja) for world peace and long life. You will be drawn into a mystic world with recitals of Holy Scriptures accompanied by Nga (huge drum) and Thongchae (long pipe). Normally every pournami day (Full moon), special poojas are conducted in the Temple.


There are around 5000 monks in Bylakuppe alone. These are run by agricultural activities in the monasteries as well as contribution from people who empathize with their cause (mostly from countries like USA, Germany etc).

Life is not easy for the Tibetan people in exile. Though they are provided with land, since it is a rain fed area, only one crop a year. Size of the family increased but land remained the same. Though they live as community in their settlements (Our host say that it was on the insistence of Dalai Lama, since he feels that if they scatter around, they will lose their culture including language: once they have to get back to their “promised land”, they have to identify as a “people”), many of them, go to cities and sell warm clothes there.

Our host at Kollegal and his wife buy warm clothes from Punjab and sell it in Bihar

Small children and elders are left at home. Children either go to the local Tibetan school or those luckiest ones who get sponsors (mostly from Germany and US), study in the cities. In Chennai, Ellen Sharma Matriculation School accommodates many children with sponsorship. So it is not difficult to find people who can speak one of the Indian languages here. We met Tibetans who speak Tamil, Kanada or Hindi.

Our last point was Dbondenling Tibetan Settlement in Kollegal Taluk in Chamrajnagar district, where we could stay with a Tibetan family and see their life from close quarters. They were so hospitable and were very happy to accommodate an Indian family. We could eat authentic Tibetan food. Prayer is a part of Tibetan life. They have small altar in every household, a small replica of a temple altar. They keep water in front of this every morning and change it before the sunset. Today, when people shrink into themselves so much, Tibetans’ community feeling is incredible. They live as joint family; visit each other often carrying butter and eggs and gifts; sometimes tea in big flasks.


In the moon light, sitting near the shadow of prayer flags in the court yards, our host shared a lot with us about their vision to be back to Tibet, their homeland which their children have never seen. They passionately keep the fire inside and pass on the tradition and culture to the generations thinking that “they shall overcome someday”. They do believe!!