Gommateshwara Temple all Information

The Gommateshwara temple is also known Bahubali Temple. The Gommateshwara statue is a 57 foot high monolithic statue of a Jain figure Bahubali located at Shravanbelagola,Karnataka. It is one of the most renowned Jain pilgrimage sites in South India. In 2007, the statue was voted as the first of seven wonders of India in Times of India.

History

According to the jain texts, Bahubali or Gommateshwara is said to be the second son of first Tirthankara of Jains named Rishabdeva, or Adinath. When Rishabdeva left his kingdom, a conflict between the two sons (Bharatha and Bahubali) took place for the empire.

Although, Bahubali defeated his brother, he was not happy with the sourness that came between them. Thus, he decided to give kingdom to his brother Bharatha, and went to achieve an absolute knowledge.

Description of the Bahubali Statue

The statue depicts the prolonged meditation of Bahubali. The standing still posture led to the growth of climbing vines around his legs. The image of Gommateshwara has curly hair ringlets and large ears. The eyes are open as if he is viewing the world with detachment.

His facial features are perfectly crafted with a faint touch of a smile that embodies a calm inner peace and vitality. His shoulders are broad, the arms stretch straight down. There is an anthill in the background which signifies his continuous penance.

From this anthill, emerge a snake and a creeper which twine around both the legs and 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 both sides of Gommateshwara, stand two tall and majestic chauri bearers in the service of the Lord. One of them is a yaksh and another one is a yakshini.

These richly ornamented and beautifully carved figures complement the main figure. There is also a trough carved for collecting water and other ritual ingredients used for the sacred bath of the statue.

The base of the statue has an inscription which praises the king who funded the efforts, and his general who erected the statue.

Major Event

The Mahamastakabhisheka festival is held once in 12 years, when the statue is smeared with milk, saffron, ghee, sugarcane juice etc from the top of the statue. The next abhishekha will held in 2030.

The event has been attended by multiple political personalities including Krishna-Rajendra Wodeyar in 1910, and Narendra Modi and Ramnath Kovind in 2018.

How to Reach the Bahubali Temple?

• Nearest airport: Bengaluru International Airport(165km)
• Nearest railway station: Hassan Railway Station (50km)
• Nearest bust stop: Sravanbelagola

Nearby Hotels

• BMR RESIDENCY
• SHARAN RESIDENCY
• NEW ROCK

Nearby Places to Visit

• Chamudaraya Basadi
• Odgal Basadi
• Bhandara Basadi
• Aregal Basadi
• Chandragupta Basadi
• Parshwanatha Basadi
• Kattale Basadi
• Halebelagola
• Kambadahalli
• Tyagada Kamba
• Akhanda Bagilu
• Siddhara Basadi
• Shanthinath Basadi