Dondenling Tibetan Settlement

Dondenling Tibetan Settlement is a large Tibetan refugee settlement located at Odeyarpalya near Kollegal in Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka. Established in 1974 on land leased by the Government of Karnataka, it is one of the major Tibetan settlements in South India. The settlement houses monasteries, schools, a cooperative society and handicraft centres and is notable for preserving Tibetan culture, Buddhism and traditional crafts.

Visitors can expect a quiet agricultural settlement with Tibetan monasteries, prayer halls, stupas and residential colonies spread over a large area. Key areas include Buddhist monasteries such as Dzogchen and Tara monasteries, cooperative handicraft centres selling carpets and textiles, small Tibetan shops and eateries, and community institutions. The environment is rural and peaceful, with opportunities to observe monastic life, architecture and daily community activities.