Statue of Gommateshwara

Construction Started : 978 AD

Construction Completed : 993 AD

Where is it Located : Indragiri Hills, Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, India

Why was it Built : In deference to Jain deity Bahubali

Height : 17.5m (57 ft)

Materials Used : Granite

Commissioned by : Chavundaraya, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief in the

Talakad Ganga Kingdom

Visit Timing : All hours of the day, all days of the week

Entry Fee : None

How to Reach : By car or bus from Bangalore, Mysore or Hassan. Nearest railway station
is Hassan
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Jainism is one of the ancient religions and came into being during the 7th Century BC in
Eastern India. Jains idolize the 24 historical figures or Tirthankaras, “‘Ford-Finders” who
uphold the path to cross the river of suffering and misery that is the mortal world. Situated
on top of the Vindhyagiri hill at an altitude of 1020.16m, in the Temple Town of
Shravanabelgola, is the giant monolithic statue dedicated to Jain deity Lord
Gommateshwara, also known as Bahubali. The 17.37m tall granite statue weighs about 80
tons and is accessed via a flight of more than 500 steps. The site offers a picturesque view
of the plains as well as nearby hills. In an SMS poll carried out by The Times of India
newspaper, from 21 July to 31 July 2007, it was voted as the first of Seven Wonders of India
on August 5, 2007. The statue is considered to be the tallest monolithic sculpture in the
world.
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History
According to the inscriptions at the base of the statue of Gommateshwara, it is said that
Ganga Ruler Rachamalls’s able General and Commander-in-Chief Chavundaraya's mother,
Kalala Devi, saw a huge statue of Gommateshwara in her dreams. She vowed not to eat
until her dream was realized. Chavundaraya decide to build the statue of Gommateshwara
at Sravanabelgola, a site already sanctified by the Jains. Another legend has it that
Chavundaraya arrived at this place overshadowed by two hills, Chandragiri and Indragiri,
with a pond in between, on his way to pilgrimage with his mother. In a vivid dream,
Chavundaraya saw himself shoot an arrow from the summit of Chandragiri to the adjacent
hill, as directed by Kushmandini Yakshi and the figure of Gommateshwara flashed from the
spot the arrow hit. Following this he commissioned the curving of the same image from a
granite monolith under the supervision of sage Arishtanemi between 980 and 983 AD. The
valley between the two hills around the pond was named Shravanabelgola (‘Shravana’
meaning saint; ‘Bel Gola’ meaning white pond).
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The Monolithic Statue

The north facing stone sculpture of Lord Gommateshwara is depicted in the upright posture
of meditation known as Kayotsarga that is practiced to attain salvation by practicing
renunciation, self-restraint and complete dominance of ego. The digambara (nude) form is
typical of Jain traditions and it symbolizes one’s victory over earthly attachments and desires
that hampers their spiritual ascent towards divinity. The statue has ringlets of curly hair and
large elongated ears. His eyes are open in a face with perfectly chiseled features and are
sporting a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His face, smile and posture embody a
calm vitality ascetic detachment. The statue depicts broad shoulders with arms stretched
straight down.

Image Credit: highwayonlyway.com

The base of the statue depicts an anthill and a creeper is twined around both his legs and
arms, blossoming into flowers and berries on the upper arms. The statue stands on a carved
lotus flower, a symbol of his sainthood and divinity and is devoid of support from the waist
up. The statue has linguistic significance with carved inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as
well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating back to 981 AD. The inscription is
dedicated in praise of the Ganga king Rachamall who funded the effort, and his general
Chavundaraya, who commissioned the statue for the fulfillment of the wish of his mother.
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About Bahubali

Bahubali was the son of Rishabhanatha, the first of the 24 Tirthankaras in Jainism and is
also known as Gommatesha. The Gommateshwara statue is dedicated to him. From a 9th
century Sanskrit poem, Adi Purana, written by Digambara monk Jinasena, the story of
Bahubali is deciphered. Bahubali was born of the Ishvaku Dynasty in Ayodhya. He
challenged the ‘chakravartin’ supremacy of his elder brother Bharat who had won over
submission of rulers from the six divisions of the earth as well as 98 of his brothers. Bahubali
won the three contests of the challenge against Bharat but was disgusted by all the violence
that being a king entails. He subsequently abandoned his kingdom, family and other worldly
attachments to become a Digambara monk. He meditated for one year in the kayotsarga
posture to attain omniscience or ‘Gyana’ and became the first human of this kalpa (world
age) to gain liberation (siddha).
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Mahamastakabhisheka Festival

The Gomateshwara statue atop the Shravanabelagola hill becomes the focal point of the
“Mahamastakabhisheka festival” every 12 years. Mahamastabhisheka is translated as
grand consecration and devotees celebrate this ritual by pouring 1008 vessels of water from
scaffolding near the top of the statue. After the offering of water, the statue is anointed with
a mixture of sugarcane juice, milk, and saffron. The statue is sprinkled with flower petals,
turmeric and sandalwood powders along with vermillion. Devotees also offer valuable
stones and coins made of silver and gold, in deference to the deity. The last
Mahamastakabhisheka was held in 2006 and the next one will be held in 2018.