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Bylakuppe is the second largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet. Located west of the Mysore district in Karnataka, Bylakuppe is approximately 10km2 (4sq mi) and sits at roughly 1,024m (3,360ft). In 1960 the Government of Mysore (what would become Karnataka) alloted 12km2 and the first Tibetan exile settlement Lungsung Samdupling, came into existence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt is one among the 58 Tibetan communities spread across India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The settlement is composed of two large camps \u2013 Lugsum Samdupling, established in 1961, and Dickyi Larsoe, established in 1969 \u2013 colloquially known as The Old Camp and The New Camp respectively. Each camp is a collection of villages \u2013 7 in the Old Camp, and 16 in the New Camp. <\/p>\n\n\n
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\u201cCentral to each village is a temple complex which contains the main temple with a statue of The Buddha and other deities, stupas \u2013 tall, cylindrical structures containing Buddhist relics, prayer wheels of various sizes, hostels for monks, a library, a kitchen, and a courtyard for social gatherings, all of these decorated with innumerable prayer flags.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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the Old Camp<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe roads in the residential areas are small and narrow, and barely enough to accommodate one car at a time, and lined with houses on either side. The refugees were allotted adobe houses when the settlement was founded, however as families grew over the years, they rebuilt them into multi-storey buildings with modern amenities. Very few of the old adobe houses still remain, unoccupied and dilapidated. While Tibetan life is mainly associated with Temple related activities, several Tibetans run businesses, grow crops, and do regular day jobs. Tourism is another major source of revenue for the settlement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…It is a replica of (my understanding of) Tibet in many ways \u2013 chiefly the architecture, lifestyle, and cuisine. The community is currently in its third generation, and it continues to grow and thrive in this home-away-from-home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe Tibetan Buddhist colour palette consists of yellow, red, green, white, and blue, each representing the primal elements earth, fire, water, wind, and space respectively. Each of the elements, in turn, are symbolic of human transformation from the earthly to the divine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRed \u2013 the fire element – represents the transformation of attachment into the wisdom of discernment. Hence Red is the colour of monasticism, whose central tenet is non-attachment to worldly pleasures. Similarly blue \u2013 the space element \u2013 represents the transformation of anger into wisdom, and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Krishna points the camera at local residents first they respond with curiosity, then suspicion. A photographer who is documenting the unknown, forbidden or rarely travelled places needs to be aware of cultural norms, respect local laws and understand the objection residents may have when a camera is pointed towards them. With understanding, respect and consideration for a town and its people documentary photographers can photograph moments of sometimes extreme vulnerability and innocence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI work from my parents\u2019 home in Mysore, in near-isolation. As a result, I am constantly working on bringing to life as many of my ideas as possible. Creating is, for the lack of a better term, catharsis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n\u201cI believe that the smallest things tell the biggest stories, and in some cases, hint at something big without actually revealing it. The picture that represents me best, from the Bylakuppe series, is the one of the grave of a Chinese man. I have not be able to find his history, and all I know about him is whatever is written on his epitaph.\u201d
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
An interview with Vamsi Krishna, a photographer based in India. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12],"tags":[897,1189],"class_list":["post-8162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interviews","category-photographers","tag-photographer-interview","tag-vamsi-krishna"],"yoast_head":"\n