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Dhondenling: Where the roads whisper stories, and silence holds space for wonder
​A few years ago, when I visited the Dhondenling Tibetan Settlement colony, it was a serene and peaceful place, yet unexplored. Those seven years have seen a lot of changes. Many people throng to this place to catch a glimpse of the colourful monasteries, temples and the splendid landscape. The mountain ranges of BRT form the backdrop to this spectacular town, with serpentine roads running alongside agricultural fields on one side and the colonies (where the locals reside) on the other side. I was pleasantly surprised to see several restaurants popping up on Google Maps. The last time I was here, it was with a group, and we were all famished. There was not a single restaurant to be found. The compassionate elders of the monastery offered us Tibetan Butter Tea. A pleasant respite until we found our way to the nearest small town of Odeyarapalya and a small eatery.
​After a quick and sumptuous lunch at a nice little restaurant up the road, I walked to Dzogchen monastery. This little dirt track (more of a broken tar road) seemed to be favoured only by some monks studying in one of the monasteries and cattle. Intrigued, I sauntered along this path and reached Dzogchen monastery, which welcomed me with its prayer wheels on the right side and a huge one at the end of the path. This temple was closed too, but the ambience was one of peace and serenity. A few cattle were grazing on the grass on the campus, and some birds were fluttering through the trees around. Rotating the prayer wheels on entering and returning gave me the most desired tranquillity. From here, taking an off-the-beaten path, I quickly reached the precincts of Taksham monastery. This monastery is frequented by tourists after visiting the Tana monastery.
​A gathering of locals was engaged in a sacred ritual of some kind. Watching them from afar, I was fascinated and decided to take a closer look. The cordial senior clerk, who was instructing the practice, was kind and explained that they were practising a dance service for the upcoming ceremony on the occasion of His Holiness Dalai Lama's birthday. Enveloped in mesmerising chants and slow, deliberate gestures, the ritual unfolded like a trance to the rhythmic pulse of drums—an experience both spellbinding and surreal. I sat there for a while, immersed in the. Cradled by the whispering trees, I wandered with quiet curiosity until I stumbled upon the colossal form of a Buddha, still emerging from stone—an awe-inspiring vision in the making. The temple here was open. The tranquillity of the sacred place didn't stand a chance - soon replaced by the comedic spectacle of tourists wrangling their kids into picture-perfect poses, serenity quietly packed its bags and left. Gone are the days when you could expect a quiet and peaceful time in a Buddhist temple.
​This is the story on a weekday, a Friday, I dread to even imagine what the place would be over the weekends. I met a guy who had driven all the way from Coimbatore. As I made my way back, a steady stream of people flowed toward Dhondenling. It turns out, the place has become something of a weekend expedition for motorcycle clubs from both Bangalore and Coimbatore.
The ride to Dhondenling is not an easy one, with some stretches of the road very badly broken. But the stunning mountain ranges that accompany you will make you forgive the deteriorating condition of the road. At forty kilometres from Kollegala, this place sits on the periphery of the BRT tiger reserve. On one of the rides last year, tired of riding on these bad patches, I had decided to detour and complete a loop. The road ahead goes towards Hasanur, Dimbum. From there, riding through the beautiful Sathyamangalam forest, you reach Chamarajanagar and then back to Mysore. Though the journey is long and takes a lot of time, the ride itself is smooth thanks to well-paved tarmac and a ribbon of winding roads that keep things interesting from start to finish.