Shravanabelagola is a quaint township located 148 Kms from
Bangalore off the Hassan – Bangalore highway
in Karnataka, India.
Shravanabelagola
means ‘Monk of the white pond’,
‘belagola’ means white pond, which was said to be created in the
town by the milk used for the first Mahamastabhisheka,
or sacred anointment of the giant statue of Lord Bahubali or Gomateshwara.
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| View of Shravanabelagola from atop Indragiri hill |
It dates back to 297 B.C, when Chandragupta Maurya, the
founder of the Mauryan Empire and grandfather of Asoka, renounced his kingdom
and came here along with his guru,
Bhagwan Bhadrabahu Swami, to become a
Jain ascetic. He led a
life of a recluse and breathed
his last at Chandragiri hill,
which is named after him.
The main attraction of this place is the colossal statue of Lord
Bahubali. The Mahamasthabhisheka
ceremony held once in twelve years is the most important event of this pilgrim
centre attracting lakhs of devotees from all over the world. Priests and devotees anoint the huge image
of Lord Bahubali from the massive
scaffolding built behind the statue.
1008 kalashas of water, milk,
coconut water, ghee, curd, sugar, honey, turmeric, almonds,
saffron, jaggery, bananas, sandal paste are poured along with the chanting
of mantras. The last ceremony was held from
Feb 8th to 19th, 2006.
The temple dedicated
to Lord Gomateshwara or Bahubali, the son of first Jain tirthankara Vrishaba Deva (Adinath)
nestles atop the 470 feet high Indragiri hill. Atop this hill stands the 58
feet and 8 inches tall sculpture of the Jain sage Gomateshwara, which Is
regarded as one of the tallest monoliths in Asia. The splendidly sculpted monolith was
carved out of a single block of granite
by sculptor Aristenemi in 981 A.D. and was installed in 983 A.D. by
Chamundaraya, a powerful minister of
Ganga King, Rajamalla IV.
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| Odegal Basti |
The statue stands
upright in the posture of meditation known as Kayotsarga, indicating perfect self control and its nakedness
suggests complete renunciation of worldly things. It has curly hair, long and large ears and
the eyes are open, gazing at the world with complete detachment. The statue has no support from thighs upwards
and shows an anthill growing in the background and creepers entwined on the legs
and arms of the figure, culminating in a
cluster of flowers and berries at the
upper portions of the arms. The image is
shown standing on a beautifully carved lotus pedestal. It is flanked by ornately carved mythical
figures of Yaksha and Yakshi, standing in the service of the Lord.
The sacred shrine atop the hill is accessible via a flight of 641
rock-cut steps. On the way up there are a number of Jain bastis or
temples. The first is the Odegal Basti, dating back to the
Hoysala period. tirthankaras, stands the splendidly sculpted statue of Lord
Gomateshwara, an epitome of grace and simplicity.
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| Lord Gomateshwara |
Lord Gomateshwara was the Jain prince Bahubali, the younger
son of Jain emperor and the first Jain thirthankara, Vrishabha
Deva (Adinath). When Vrishaba
Deva renounced his kingdom and undertook
the life of a hermit, his sons Bharata and Bahubali fought fiercely to
succeed him. Bahubali
emerged triumphant, but soon realized
the futility of war and gave the kingdom
to his brother Bharata. Bahubali
renounced the world like his father and lead
a life of penance and meditation,
attaining enlightenment.
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| The feet of the Lord with a tiny gold statue of Lord Gomateshwara |
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