Namdroling Monastery, Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Bylakuppe, India

Namdroling Monastery, formally Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargye Ling, is the largest teaching center of the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, in Bylakuppe, Mysuru district, Karnataka. Its entrance gateway has two thick red pillars with white and blue patterns, a blue lintel with gold Tibetan script, and a red and gold tiered roof with three gold finials; the pillar panels read "NYINGMAPA" and "MONASTERY". The grounds hold the Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara, inaugurated on 24 September 1999, the Zangdog Palri Temple of 2004, a shedra, a nunnery and a junior high school.

Founded in 1963 by Penor Rinpoche, the 11th throneholder of the Palyul lineage, Namdroling began as a bamboo temple of about 80 square feet on jungle land granted to Tibetan exiles by the Indian government. The founder lived in a tent while the community faced elephants and a lack of roads and funds. The shedra was completed on 17 February 1978, the nunnery was established on 27 November 1993, and the Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara was inaugurated on 24 September 1999.

The monastery's name, Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, is shortened to Namdroling, and its gateway pillars carry the words "NYINGMAPA" and "MONASTERY" in gold. Each year it hosts Losar, the Tibetan New Year, whose date follows the lunisolar calendar and usually falls in February or March. Celebrations last about two weeks and feature traditional Lama dances, giant thangkas hung from the sides of buildings, and processions across the grounds.

Namdroling lies in Bylakuppe, in Mysuru district, Karnataka, at the Tibetan settlement reached by road from Kushalnagar and Mysuru. The grounds hold several separate buildings, including the Padmasambhava Buddhist Vihara inaugurated in 1999 and the Zangdog Palri Temple of 2004, so plan walking time between them. Remove shoes before entering prayer halls and do not photograph monks and nuns without asking.

The gateway's red pillars carry gold lettering: "NYINGMAPA" on the left and "MONASTERY" on the right, below a blue lintel with gold Tibetan script. The full Tibetan name, Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, appears in the Wikipedia entry. The monastery began in 1963 as a bamboo temple of about 80 square feet, where founder Penor Rinpoche lived in a tent.