By P.V. Akshay

Art has always worked to preserve history within its strokes. Even amidst the COVID-19 contagion as we live in restricted times confined to our homes and amidst global medical emergency, art has continued to provide a platform for people to indulge in creative work and inspire the community around them. 

At a time when critical resources are stretched and when a seeming financial crisis — central to Coronavirus confinement — looming large, communities have adopted ingenuous strategies to utilise time, resources and people towards art and creativity like the Tibetan monk community at Namdroling Monastery (The Golden Temple) in Bylakuppe on the Mysuru-Kodagu border has done during lockdown and post-lockdown period. 

They have cleaned, painted and beautified the monasteries, temples, stupas, prayer halls, colleges, hostels, offices and hospital to give the campus at Bylakuppe a new look.  Remarkably, not a single labour from outside was used and all the work was done by monk superiors, skilled volunteer monks and student monks.

Brush strokes were first applied to the impressive edifice of divinity Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery that is popular as the Golden Temple with three imposing statues — the idol in the middle is of Sakyamuni Buddha or Gauthama Buddha flanked by those of Guru Padmasambhava to his right and Amitayus to the left. 

Vibrant colours

The architecture of the Temple is in Tibetan style — with vibrant colours, artistic designs, sculptures and paintings. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche established the Namdroling Monastery in 1963. It was his sole vision including architecture, scheme of things, etc., to preserve and flourish the precious Buddha dharma. The monastery sincerely follows his most valuable vision. The entire painting works were completed from the funds of Penor Rinpoche Charity Foundation. 

The three giant jaw-dropping idols inside the Golden Temple are plated with pure gold. The statues have been encrusted with semi-precious stones and are placed on high platforms. The entire Namdroling Monastery was painted in 2013.  In 2017, the Golden Temple was repainted and in 2018, the Zangdok Palri Temple was repainted. This time, again the entire Namdroling Monastery is repainted.

Right in front of the main temple (Golden Temple) is Zangdok Palri Temple which is the replica of the mansion of Guru Rinpoche’s pure land that was completed in 2004. The temple rises vertically with tiers of artistic golden turrets and a golden semi-circular arch at the top. Now the Temple shines with a fresh coat of paint. 

Facilitating painting work

The entire painting work was supervised by Managing Trustee of Penor Rinpoche Charity Foundation Tulku Choedhar who guided the monks in actual work. Over 15 to 20 monks were involved in painting of the temple while over 100 student monks painted the other structures. Usually the monastery is chock-a-bloc with tourists. Absence of tourist movement during lockdown and post-lockdown periods facilitated a smooth process. 

As the planning and working out minute details of painting work took months, the actual painting of the spiritual abode began on Nov. 7, 2020 as it was on this day Lord Buddha Sakyamuni descended from heaven and the day is considered as a Holy Descending Day by Tibetan community.

The monastery also has many other smaller temples like the Vajra Kilaya Temple and the Tara Temple. At the northern periphery is a series of 17 stupas exhibiting relics and scriptures of Buddhist teachings. Tara Temple has 21 idols of deities who represent different forms of the Goddess. This temple too has been painted now.

Gold-plating work

At the monastery, only two senior monks Lama Tsering Docka and Lopon Sherab Woeser have the expertise of gold-plating and dexterous painting. It is a magical experience to see the gold-plating work. Around the Temple there are various stories that have been illustrated on the walls. 

The senior monks pencil-mark the places that have to be painted and even the colours are indicated. After the marking is done, students and junior monks do painting work. 

Even the colours for the painting are prepared in-house and natural colours and their combinations are used. The entire Tara Temple has been renovated and painted. In the coming days, painting of the college prayer hall, nuns’ prayer hall and Vajra Kilaya would be completed. Painting of 17 stupas that are the symbols of enlightened minds have also been taken up now.

An inevitable part of any Buddhist temple is a prayer wheel. At the Namdroling Monastery, there are as many as 1,300 small prayer wheels and 19 large ones. Turning the wheels that contain millions of prayer scrolls and ‘dharanis’ in a clockwise direction is considered as effective as chanting prayers for good health, happiness and hope. It is common to see monks turning these wheels of prayer as they walk. These wheels too have been cleaned and painted.

The Golden Temple in Bylakuppe is yet to open for visitors.