Gommatesvara Statue, Sravanabelagola, Karnataka India

Statue of Gomateshwara is a huge monolithic statue located at Sravanbelgola. The Statue of Gomateshwara at Sravanabelagola is a major Tourist Attraction in Karnataka and holds much importance in the history of Karnataka as a Historical Monument of Karnataka. This monument of Karnataka is at a distance of 158 km from Bangalore. Lord Gomateshwara was a Jain saint and is often referred to as the Lord Bahubali. The statue is made up of a single block of granite and is positioned on the top of the Doddabetta hill. The Statue of Gomateshwara, Sravanabelagola is 17 meters in height. The Statue of Gomateshwara at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka is considered as one of the greatest achievements in the field of sculptural art in ancient Karnataka. The Statue of Gomateshwara in Sravanabelagola is also one of the most brilliant Jain works of art.

This Statue of Gomateshwara at Sravanabelagola in Karnataka in India was created by Chamundraya around 983 AD. Chamundraya was a minister of the Ganga King, Rajamalla.

Shravanabelagola  is located 51 km south east of Hassan in Karnataka at an Altitude of about 3350 feet above sea level. There are excellent roads from Bangalor and Mysore. The nearest airport is Banglore which at a distance of  157 km. and the nearest railway station is Hassan. It is a little township tucked away between Indragiri and Chandragiri hills. The colossal rock cut statue of  saint Gommata at Shravanabelagola  is the most magnificent among all Jaina works of art.  It was built in circa 982 AD and is described as one of the mightiest achievements of ancient Karnataka in the realm of sculptural art. Also referred to as Lord Bahubali, the image is nude an stands upright in the posture of meditation  known as kayotsarga, reaching a height of nearly 57 ft atop the Vindyagiri  of Doddabetta hills accessible through a flight of 500 steps. The image of  Gommata has curly hair in ringlets and long, large ears. His eyes are open  as if viewing the world with detachment. His facial features are perfectly  chiseled with a faint touch of a smile at the corner of his lips and  embody calm vitality. His shoulders are broad, his arms stretch straight  down and the figure has no support from the thigh upwards.  
      
The statue of Gommateshwara at Shravanbelagola.

  There is an  anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance. From this  anthill emerge a snake and a creeper which twine around both his legs and  his arms culminating as a cluster of flowers and berries at the upper  portion of the arms. The entire figure stands on an open lotus signifying  the totality attained in installing this unique statue. On either side of Gommata stand two tall and majestic chauri bearers in the service of the Lord. One of them is a yakshi and the other one is a yakshi. These richly ornamented and beautifully carved figures complement the main figure. Carved on the rear side of the anthill is also a trough for collecting water and other ritual ingredients used for the sacred bath of the image.
     

  Around the statue is an enclosure of a pillared hall where one can find 43 images of tirthankaras in different cloisters. There is also a figure of a woman called Gullikayajji sculpted with a good built and wearing exquisite ornamentation, typical of the sculptures of the Ganga period. The Akandabagilu or the massive door, carved out of a single rock with an elaborately carved Gajalakshmi in her typical posture flanked by two elephants, is another meritorious work of Jain craftsmanship.

One of the largest temples in the area is the Chaundarya Basadi dedicated to Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara depicted under a seven hooded canopy and flanked by male chauri bearers. This temple is unique in its style. It belongs to the era of the western Gangas and is evolved out of the Chalukyan styles at Badami and Aihole. One the same hill can be seen the Chandraprabha Basadi dedicated to the 8th tirthankara by the same name. It is one of the oldest basadis on the hill and can be assigned to the early 9th century under the reign of Sivamara, a Ganga king.
While at Shravanabelalgola one can also gain insights into Jaina mythology through some of the finest paintings depicted on the walls of the Sri Jains matha. Rich in colours and harmonious in composition, these paintings of the 18th century depict royal processions and festivities, monks, women in brightly coloured  sarees, forest scenes of wild animals and other topics that shed light on the domestic, religious and social life of the people.

Another concrete expression of the intensity of Jaina art is the sthambha, the free standing pillar in front of every basadi. Elegantly carved out of granite, these are classified as Brahmadeva Sthambha and Manasthambha. While the former portrays the figures of Brahmanical gods, the latter is depictive of Jaina faith. Manasthambha pillars can be found elsewhere in the country but the Brahmadeva pillars are restricted to the South, a fine specimen of which can be found in front of the gigantic statue of Gommata at Shravanbelagola. Extremely attractive is the Manasthambha at Mudabidri  with a small shrine at the apex surrounded by four bells and topped with a gold finial. Such pillars at Karkala and Humcha are equally eye-catching. All these pillars, irrespective of their connotations, are exquisite pieces of art, elegance and decoration. Another pillar of immense interest is the Tyagada Brahmadevara Kamba at Sravana Belgola where Chaundaraya has  inscribed his genealogy and his life time achievements. Only segments of  the inscription are readable.

 The festival Mahamastakabhishekam is held once in every 12 years, during which the image of Lord Gomateshwara is bathed in curd, ghee, milk, saffron and offered gold coins. The Gomateshwara Statue at Sravanabelagola has curly hair and large ears, wide open eyes, perfectly chiseled face with a faint smile, broad shoulders and arms, stretched downwards. The Statue of Gomateshwara, Sravanabelagola stands nude and straight in the posture of meditation known as kayotsarga. There is an anthill in the background, which signifies his continual sacrifice and self pain. 

The Gomateshwara Statue is situated on the top of Shravanabelagola hill, in the State of Karnataka, India. Gomateshwara is also known as Lord Bahubali.

The Gomateshwara Statue stands at a height of 60 feet on the top of the hill. The Gomateshwara Statue was built by Chamundaraya (a poet and minister belonging to the Western Ganga Dynasty). Between the years 978 to 993 the Gomateshwara Statue was built. A single large stone was used in the construction of the Gomateshwara Statue. The Gomateshwara Statue is a completely stripped Statue, which was built according to Jain ethnicity. In addition several inscriptions were found at the bottom of the Gomateshwara Statue. These inscriptions are written in Kannada language which describes the ancient Kannada literature.

In the present day, the Gomateshwara Statue is considered as the world’s biggest monolithic statue. The Gomateshwara Statue can be viewed at a distance of 30 km. Everyday, a large number of devotees, especially Jains, visit the statue. The Gomateshwara Statue is a famous pilgrim place for the Jains.

At the Shravanabelagola hill, every 12 years devotees celebrate the “Mahamastakabhisheka festival”. Devotees Sprinkle 1008 vessels of water from the top of the statue. After the sprinkling of water, the bathing of the statue is done with a tons of sugarcane juice, milk, and the paste from the saffron flower. The process is continued with sprinkling the turmeric and sandalwood powders. on the statue. In addition the devotees offer a large amount of valuable stones and coins made of silver and gold.

A snake and a creeper emerge from this anthill and wind around both the legs and arms. The statue stands on an open lotus, which brings out the architectural expertise and portrays the brilliance of the sculpture of the age. On the two sides of the main Statue of Gomateshwara there are two tall chauri bearers, standing in the service of the Lord. There is a trough carved behind the anthill, for collecting water and other ritual ingredients, which is used for the sacred bath of the Statue of Gomateshwara in Sravanabelagola in Karnataka in India.