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Mundgod's my very own little Tibet

By B V Prakash | Deccan Herald

The new assembly hall of Drepung Loseling monastery, which can hold more than five thousand monks, in Mundgod, India. The hall was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in January 2008. File/Drepung Loseling website/India

Momos, thukpas and tea? Don’t travel too far. Tibet is right in Mundgod, a small town in Uttara Kannada district.

Colourful monasteries and stupas, red-robed monks, resonance of cymbals, chanting of prayers and a fragrance of salt butter tea. No, we are not talking of a visit to Tibet. One finds all these and more of a Tibetan life and culture in the heart of Karnataka. The place is Mundgod, a small town in Uttara Kannada district. This is where a thriving community of the largest settlement of Tibetan refugees have been living for more than four decades now.

In 1966, the state government offered the Tibetan refugees about 4,000 acres of forested land near Mundgod. A large number of settlers, nearly 15,000, made this their home. In the course of time, smaller groups also found refuge in a few other places in Karnataka including the one at Bylakuppe.

Today, this colony of Tibetan refugees numbering about 20,000 of which nearly 7,000 are monks, is called the Doeguling Settlement and divided into smaller villages or camps. There are as many as 11 camps out of which two are exclusively for monasteries and referred to as Lama camps. These camps are where two of the most important monasteries, Gaden (also Ganden) Jangtse and the Drepung Loseling Monasteries are situated. The other villages, each within a distance of 4-6 kms from the other, are inhabited by common people. Shared taxis ply between camps. Each village has its own headman, called Gambo, who administers the community, settles disputes and also acts as a people’s representative to the cooperative society of the village, which is the nerve centre of economic activities.

There are several monasteries spread over different villages. They serve as universities where a range of subjects like Buddhism, Tibetan medicine, English, Mathematics and Science are taught to students who also undergo sessions of debates, discourses and recitation. The whole settlement has a few schools, hospitals, a branch of the Tibetan Medicine and Astro Institute, commonly called Men-tsee-khang. A home for the aged as well as a nunnery are also maintained.

The main occupation of the community is agriculture. Rice, corn and cotton are the major crops that are cultivated here. Besides, many of them engage in producing Tibetan handicrafts, woollen products and carpets. Some camps have ethnic restaurants which serve to the residents and visitors a variety of Tibetan cuisine like momos, thukpas and salt butter tea.

Visitors are welcome and it is quite an experience to take a tour of the camps. The main entry is through a gate at camp 1. Walking the narrow lane, one finds on either side aesthetically designed buildings, handicraft centres and halls for gatherings. The university building on the right, said to be a replica of the 500-year-old building that was in Tibet, cannot be missed.

A deviation to the right leads to the Gaden Jangtse Monastery. The highlight of the monastery is the golden temple for Buddha. As one enters the main prayer hall, tall statues draw attention. To the extreme left is the image of Lama Tsongkhapa, followed by Avalokiteshwara, Maitreya – the future Buddha and the imposing 25-ft Sakyamuni Buddha coated in gold. To the right are images of Manjusri and Taradevi. At the centre of the stage is the Golden Throne of HH the Dalai Lama. It is made of teak wood painted in golden colour. The hall is adorned by a series of thangkas, an age-old Tibetan technique of painting on silk and satin. Outside the temple compound are two beautiful iridescent stupas. In fact, bright colours are an invariable part of Tibetan culture. A restaurant here serves food and beverages.

The next stop would be at camp 6 or Lama camp no 2. It is a sprawling complex with a towering structure of Drepung Loseling Monastery and a wide courtyard. The prayer hall has the image of Buddha with three disciples in front. However, the well-painted pillars and the large frescoes on the walls outside the hall demonstrate the rich tone of Tibetan art. It was here that the huge Assembly hall was inaugurated by the Dalai Lama in January 2008. The year also saw a miracle when Rinpoche Lobsang Nyima passed away on September 14, but the body remained without decomposing for three weeks! Tibetans believe this to be the Thukdham, a meditative state in which the body remains even after death by virtue of spiritual accomplishments attained by the Rinpoche. At the remaining camps, one can indulge in shopping of Tibetan souvenirs, enjoy some ethnic food and talk to a monk. Amidst all these activities is one undying spirit of the people; to free Tibet. And their relentless effort includes the soulful campaign of thumb impressions in blood in which little kids lend support smilingly. A visit to the Doeguling settlement at Mundgod leaves you with a feeling of having been in Tibet.

Getting there: The nearest railway station and the airport is Hubli which is also well connected by buses to important cities. From Hubli, moffusil buses go to Mundgod (50 kms) from where shared jeeps operate to the settlement.

Copyright © 2008 The Deccan Herald

Published in The Deccan Herald