Let’s face it, India’s hot and humid south probably isn’t the first place that springs to mind when you think of Tibetan monks but the small town of Bylakuppe, 82km from Mysore, is home to the largest Tibetan settlement in Southern India. With the aroma of yak butter tea hanging heavy in the air, the deep murmur of chanting echoing through the prayer halls of the settlement’ impressive monastery and prayer wheels spinning at a rate of knots, this is the place to come to see a little slice of Tibet but minus the cold!
Another great photo. I, too, found it odd to wander around Tibetan temples and monks in warm, sultry air with palm trees all around. I spent a couple of nights at Bylakuppe in the very nice guest facilities right across from one of the temples. When another foreigner and I arrived at the guest house, the monk in charge said we could only stay if we had a permit from the authorities allowing us to stay there. Then he said that the police come by every night about 7, and that we should leave our backpacks behind his desk and then come back after 7 to check in! I also saw a group of Tibetan monks at Jog Falls in NW Karnataka. Reaching the pools at the bottom of the falls, some of them stripped down to their underwear (bright yellow, as I recall) and swam. Later they all posed in front of the falls while holding a big Tibetan flag they had brought with them.
I love the idea of Tibetan monks in bright yellow underwear (not in a strange way I hasten to add!). If you think about it, there are only two colours their underwear could be – bright yellow as you witnessed or ’Tibetan maroon’. In fact, I think I have I just invented a new paint name for deluxe; ‘Tibetan maroon’ – it’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think?