Shravanabelagola is situated about 150 km northwest of
Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. The town has been a prominent centre for
Jain art, architecture, religion and culture for over two millennia. About two
thousand years ago, Bhagawan Bhadrabahu, the earliest among the great Jain
Acharyas came to Shravanabelagola from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, with his
disciples. Influenced by this ascetic, Chandragupta Maurya, the great emperor
who ruled a large part of India, settled in this region, handing over the reins
of his kingdom to his son.
Monolith of Lord Gomateshwara
Wedged between two stark rocky hills, the monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, a Jain saint and an object of worship for centuries, standing atop one of the hills (Indragiri hill), is 18 meters high and is said to be one of the tallest and most graceful monolithic statues in the world.
History behind the
Monolith
Lord
Gomateshwara, also known as Balubali, was the son of the first Jain
Teerthankara, Lord Adinatha. Challenged by his brother Bharatha over the
succession to the throne, Bahubali took on Bharatha in a duel that involved
three forms - Drishtiyuddha, Mallayuddha and Jalayuddha. Though Bahubali
finally emerged victorious, he was overwhelmed by both the enormity and the
futility of the desirefor material wealth - a pursuit that set brother against
brother. He then renounced his kingdom and all other worldly pleasures.
Bahubali stood in deep meditation and radiated the glow of spiritual
tranquility. Chavundaraya, prime minister and commander-in-chief of the Ganga
Kingdom, consecrated the statue of Bahubali in a meditative form in 981 AD.
The Mahamastakabhisheka
The
Mahamastakabisheka festival, an elaborate ritual, held here once every 12
years, the last one in 2006, attracts devotees from all over the world. Priests
climb up to pour hundreds of pots of tender coconut water, turmeric paste,
vermilion powder, sugarcane juice, milk, rice flour, kashaya (a herbal
concoction), shrigandha (sandal paste), chandana (coloured sandal paste),
ashtagandha (eight varieties of sandal paste), saffron, gold and silver
flowers, and precious stones over the statue's head. A spectacular finale to
this splendid ceremony is a shower of flowers from a helicopter.
How to reach here....
Read more about Shravanabelagola
Explore My Trip to Shravanabelagola
Monolith of Lord Gomateshwara
Wedged between two stark rocky hills, the monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara, a Jain saint and an object of worship for centuries, standing atop one of the hills (Indragiri hill), is 18 meters high and is said to be one of the tallest and most graceful monolithic statues in the world.
History behind the
Monolith
Lord
Gomateshwara, also known as Balubali, was the son of the first Jain
Teerthankara, Lord Adinatha. Challenged by his brother Bharatha over the
succession to the throne, Bahubali took on Bharatha in a duel that involved
three forms - Drishtiyuddha, Mallayuddha and Jalayuddha. Though Bahubali
finally emerged victorious, he was overwhelmed by both the enormity and the
futility of the desirefor material wealth - a pursuit that set brother against
brother. He then renounced his kingdom and all other worldly pleasures.
Bahubali stood in deep meditation and radiated the glow of spiritual
tranquility. Chavundaraya, prime minister and commander-in-chief of the Ganga
Kingdom, consecrated the statue of Bahubali in a meditative form in 981 AD.
Just
opposite is the smaller Chandragiri hill where some Jain temples and
tomb of Chandragupta Mourya, famous patron of Jainism can be seen.
The Mahamastakabhisheka
How to reach here....
- By
Road : It is well connected by Road network and is about 49 Km
from Hassan and about 150 Km from Bangalore and about 80 Km from Mysore.
It is around 11 km from Channarayapatna, a taluk head-quarter (in Hassan
District) on Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway. Regular bus services
from Hassan and Channarayapatna are available.
- By Air
: The nearest Air Port is at Bangalore.
- By Rail : The nearest
Railway Station is at Hassan.
Read more about Shravanabelagola
Explore My Trip to Shravanabelagola
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