Transportation

The following travel information is, to the best of our knowledge, accurate as of July 2015. However, because situations often change quickly in India, we cannot guarantee the accuracy of this  information and we apologize for any errors. (If you do find errors, please help us improve this page by sending current information to: jangchuplamrim@gmail.com.)

A note about prices: during large events such as teachings with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, prices can vary greatly from the normal rates and are therefore unpredictable, so unfortunately we are not able to list prices below.

The Jangchup Lamrim Teaching Organizing Committee deeply regrets that we are unable to assist with the personal travel arrangements of the thousands of expected attendees. If you require additional advice or assistance to make your travel arrangements, please contact a travel agent, your hotel, or the members of the monastery housing where you will stay.  They will be able to assist you personally.

Hotel/guest house accommodation in the monasteries and nunneries

There are only a very small number of guest house rooms in the various monasteries and nunneries of Bylakuppe Tibetan Settllement, and these are fully booked by the monasteries and nunneries for their usual guests.

Location and Maps

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is located in Dickyi Larsoe Tibetan Settlement, in Bylakuppe, Mysore District, Karnataka State, south India, approximately 240km/150 miles west of Bangalore (Bengaluru).  The nearest large city is Mysore (Mysuru, 90km/55 miles).

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is approx. 1km/0.6 miles from the centre of Bylakuppe; 8km/5 miles from Kushalnagar, the nearest small town; and approx. 9km/5.5 miles  from Sera Monastery. To travel to Tashi Lhunpo from Bylakuppe, Kushalnagar or any of the other monasteries, auto rickshaws (shared or private) and taxis are available.

There are two Tibetan Settlements in Bylakuppe (Dickyi Larsoe and Lugsung Samdupling) and many monasteries and nunneries, including:

• Tashi Lhunpo Monastery
• Sera Jey Monastery
• Sera Mey Monastery
• Namdroling Monastery (“The Golden Temple”)
• Kagyu Nalanda Monastery
• Ngagyur Nyingma Institute
• Tsogyal Shedrub Dargyeling Nunnery
• Sakya Monastery
• Kamtsang Kagyud Lungtok Tengye Ling Monastery
• Drikung Kagyu Thupten Shedrup Jangchub Ling Monastery

A satellite map of Bylakuppe is also available on Wikimaps.

Bylakuppe By Air

The nearest international airports are:

Bangalore (Bengaluru) – approx. 240km/150 miles
Mangalore – approx. 180km /110 miles
Calicut – approx. 220km/135 miles
Goa – approx. 550km/340 miles
Chennai – approx. 550km/340 miles

The nearest domestic airport is Mysore Airport (100km/60 miles from Bylakuppe), which recently re-opened in September 2015.  As of early November 2015, the only flights available are direct flights between Mysore and Bangalore on Air India.  Please be aware that domestic flights are often unpredictable in India and services may be added or cancelled on very short notice.

As most attendees who fly will travel via Bangalore Airport, here are some details concerning travel from Bangalore airport:

Taxi from Bangalore Airport: Approximately 6 hour drive to Bylakuppe. There is a pre-paid taxi desk inside the airport. For more information about taxis from Bangalore Airport see Bangalore Airport’s Tansport page.

24/7 Deluxe Shuttle Bus from Bangalore Airport: Services available to Bangalore city, railway stations, and bus stations from where you can take a bus directly to Bylakuppe/Kushalnagar (see “By Bus” section below). For more info about the Airport Shuttle Bus see Bangalore Airport’s Transport page.

Train from Bangalore Airport: There is currently no direct train service from the airport. You can travel via taxi or Shuttle Bus to Bangalore’s Central Railway Station (approximately 45min) to take a train to Mysore.

Bylakuppe By Train

The nearest main railway station is Mysore (approx. 90km/55 miles), which is well connected with many trains to Bangalore and other cities.

For information about train routes, fares and seat availability between any 2 cities in India, see: IndianRailInfo.com (enter city names at top of page) and Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry.

Specifically for suggestions of trains to/from Mysore, see InMysore.com.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PURCHASING TRAIN TICKETS: When purchasing train tickets, it is advisable to use a travel agent. Though train tickets can be purchased on-line by individuals, this usually requires an Indian credit card and an Indian mobile/cell phone number. Indian trains are often booked out weeks or months in advance, so you are advised to purchase your train tickets as early as possible. As of April 2015, train tickets can be booked up to 120 days in advance.

Bylakuppe By Bus

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery is located 1km/0.6 miles from Bylakuppe and 8km/5 miles from Kushalnagar. Both Bylakuppe and Kushalnagar are well connected to Mysore, Bangalore, Mangalore, Calicut, Madras, Coimbatore, Ooty, Cannanore, Panaji(Goa) and many other cities by well-maintained state highways and plentiful bus services.

Bus from Bangalore: There are frequent luxury (“deluxe”), semi-luxury (“semi-deluxe”), and ordinary buses from Bangalore to Mysore (approx. 3 hours) and many of these carry on to Bylakuppe/Kushalnagar (an additional 2 hours; total 5 hours from Bangalore). Note: Direct buses to Kushalnagar leave from Bangalore’s Satellite Bus Station (also known as Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station, or MCTC) which is one of Bangalore’s 6 major bus stations. For more info see Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation.

Bus from Mysore: There are frequent luxury (“deluxe”), semi-luxury (“semi-deluxe”), and ordinary buses from Mysore’s Suburban Bus Stand to Bylakuppe/Kushalnagar (2 hours). For more info see: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation. For more information about bus services between Mysore and the rest of south India, see: InMysore.com.

IMPORTANT NOTES FOR PURCHASING BUS TICKETS: When purchasing bus tickets it is advisable to use a travel agent. Though bus tickets can be purchased on-line by individuals, this is usually requires an Indian credit card and an Indian mobile/cell phone number.

Travel Tips

For additional travel tips, see Visa & Other Advice.