Shravanabelagola Temple – Gomateshwara Statue

About

It is one of Jain Bhadrabahu traditions, one of the successors of Mahaveera breathed his last in a cave here while leading a migration from Ujjain to South India owing to a 12-year-old famine in Shravanabelagola Temple.

Many monuments are formed by the Ganges and Hoysalas who were ardent followers of the religion. These shrines can be spotted in the hills of Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri.

Legends say that Rishaba-Admatha had two sons, Bharata and Bahubali. While the former was the king of Ayodhya, the latter was the ruler of Pandavapura. Bharata wanted to become the Chakravarthi emperor and hence decided to attack Paudanapura. Bahubali refused to surrender and proclaimed war. In this situation, the elder statesmen of both sides decided to avoid bloodshed by arranging for a dual battle between the two brothers. The battle consisted of three parts: the Drishti Yuddha. The person needs to stare at another individual without closing the eyelids, the Jala Yuddha where water is splashed on a person till he turns his face away finally, the Malla Yuddha which symbolizes wrestling. Bahubali emerged as the winner in all three forms and this angered Bharata. He then decided to attack Bahubali with his chakra but it just circled him thrice and failed to attack him. Bahubali felt disgusted and decided to leave worldly pleasures and walk on the path of purification of his soul. He stood in the Kayotsarga or standing posture for about a year without any food or water. From ant hills to snakes, his legs were covered with dangerous creatures, and later he was successful in attaining knowledge about the universe or Kevalgyan. From then on, he was called Bahubali-Kevali or Gomateshwara.

ALSO READ Vijaya Vittala Temple - Hampi

The Mahamastakabhisheka (Grand Consecration/The Great Indian Festival) refers to the abhiṣheka (anointment) of the Jain images when held on a large scale. The most famous of such consecrations is the anointing of the Bahubali Gomateshwara Statue located at Shravanabelagola. It is an important Jain festival held once every 12 years. It is an integral part of the ancient and composite Jain tradition. The festival is held in veneration of a 17.3736 meters (57.000 ft) high monolithic statue of the Siddha Bahubali. The anointing last took place in February 2018, and the next ceremony is going to take place in 2030. During this festival, the statue is then bathed and anointed with libations such as milk, sugarcane juice, and saffron paste, and sprinkled with powders of sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion.