SRAVANABELAGOLA
Also Known As : Bahubali
Significance : Jain Pilgrimage
The
Most Revered Jain Pilgrimage Wedged between two stark rocky hills, the
legendary pilgrim centre of Shravan Belagola and shrine of the Jains since
early times is 150 km from
Bangalore, 52 km
from Hassan and 80 km from
Mysore.
Shravanbelagola is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrim
centres in India.
It is a little township tucked away between Indragiri and Chandragiri
hills. Its antiquity dates back to 3rd century B. C. when the great
Mauryan Emperor Chandragupta Maurya handed over his empire to his son
Bimbisara and sought the serenity of Sravanabelagola.
The Monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, a Jain saint and an object of
worship for centuries, standing atop one of the hills (Indragirl hill), is
17 metres high and is said to be one of the tallest and most graceful
monolithic statues in the world.
The symmetry in stone was created around 983 AD by Chamundaraya, a
general and minister of the Ganga, King Rachamatta. This giant statue was
carved out of a single block of stone.
It is regarded as one of the largest monolithic statues in the world.
Lord Bahubali or Gomateshwar, the gigantic monolith statue is situated at
the famous Manjunath
Temple in Dharmasthala.
It symbolises renunciation, self-control and subjugation of ego as the
primary steps towards salvation. The naked Digambara form of Bahubali
represents complete victory over earthly desires.
Legend
Lord Gomatesheshwara was the Jain prince Bahubali who during a war with
his greedy elder brother, Bharata who sought to usurp his kingdom,
accepted defeat at the moment of his victory because of the futility of it
all.
He renounced the world and his rights to his own kingdom, much to the
severe repentance of the Bharata and left to lead a life of penance and
meditation, attaining Nirvana
Priests climb up to pour pots of coconut water, turmeric paste, and
vermillion powder over the statue's head.
Worship Of The Lord: The Mahamastakabhisheka Festival
The Mahamastakabhisheka festival, an elaborate ritual, held here once
every 12 years attracts devotees from all over the world. The statue of
Bahubali is anointed with potfuls of exotic offerings including honey,
almonds, saffron, sandalwood, coconut milk, dates, bananas, poppy seed,
ghee and even gold and silver coins.
This ceremony is called Mahamastakabhisheka and the next ceremony is in
2005 as the last one was in 1993. Sravanabelagola has remained a great
Jain centre and the goal of thousands of pilgrims who flock to see the
magnificent and gigantic statue of Lord Gomateswara or Bahubali.
It was the Ganga King Rachamalla who commissioned the sculptor Arstameni
in 981 A.D. to create this mammoth statue.
Nearby Attractions
The other attractions in the little township of Sravanabelagola are the
Jain ''Bastis' (temples) and 'Muths' (monasteries).
One among them is the Chandragupta basti built by Emperor Ashoka, the
grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. It has eight splendid carved idols
studded with semi-precious stones.
HOW TO GET THERE
Sravanabelagola is 2 ½ hours bus journey from
Mysore, three
hours journey from Bangalore.
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