Shravanabelagola () is a town located near
Channarayapatna
Channarayapatna is a town and Taluk headquarters in Hassan district of Karnataka, India. It lies on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 75 in Karnataka, India.It has number of temples like Channakeshava temple, Anjaneya temple, Tejigereyam ...
of
Hassan district in the Indian state of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
and is from
Bengaluru. The
Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important
tirthas (pilgrimage destinations) in
Jainism
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle bein ...
, one that reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of
Western Ganga dynasty
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (m ...
of
Talakad
Talakadu (ತಲಕಾಡು) is a town on the left bank of the Kaveri river 45 km (28 miles) from Mysore and 133 km (82 miles) from Bangalore in Karnataka, India. Latinizations of the towns name vary, but include Talkād, Talakadu, T ...
.
Chandragupta Maurya is said to have died here in 298 BCE after he became a
Jain monk and assumed an ascetic life style.
Gommateshwara statue,
Akkana Basadi
Akkana Basadi (''lit'', temple of the "elder sister", basadi is also pronounced ''basti'') is a Jain temple (basadi) built in 1181 A.D., during the rule of Hoysala empire King Veera Ballala II. The basadi was constructed by the devout Jain la ...
,
Chandragupta basadi
Chandragupta basadi ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಬಸದಿ) is one of the smaller basadis (Jain temples) located on the Chandragiri Hill in Sravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Archaeological Survey of India has listed ...
,
Chamundaraya Basadi,
Parshvanath Basadi and inscriptions of Shravanabelagola group of monuments are listed as Adarsh Smarak Monument by
Archaeological Survey of India.
Location
Shravanabelagola is located at to the south-east of
Channarayapatna
Channarayapatna is a town and Taluk headquarters in Hassan district of Karnataka, India. It lies on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 75 in Karnataka, India.It has number of temples like Channakeshava temple, Anjaneya temple, Tejigereyam ...
in the Channarayapatna taluk of
Hassan district of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
. It is at a distance of south-east of
Hassan, Karnataka, the district centre. It is situated at a distance of to the south from the
Bengaluru-Mangaluru road (NH-75), from
Hirisave, from
Halebidu, from
Belur, from
Mysuru, from
Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka and from
Mangaluru.
Sacred places are spread over two hills,
Chandragiri
Chandragiri is a suburb and neighbourhood of Tirupati and located in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Tirupati urban agglomeration and a major growing residential area in Tirupati It is the mandal headqua ...
and
Vindyagiri, and also among the villages at the foothills.
Etymology
''Shravanabelagola'' "White Pond of the
Shravana" is named with reference to the colossal image of Gommaṭa - the prefix ''Śravaṇa'' serves to distinguish it from other Belagolas with the prefixes Hale- and Kodi-, while ''Beḷagoḷa'' "white pond" is an allusion to the pond in the middle of the town. The
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
equivalents ''Śvetasarovara'', ''Dhavalasarovara'' and ''Dhavalasarasa'' used in the inscriptions that support this meaning. There are more than 560 inscriptions in Shravabelagola.
Some inscriptions mention the name of the place as Beḷgoḷa, which has given rise to another derivation from the plant ''
Solanum ferox'' (hairy-fruited eggplant). This derivation is in allusion to a tradition which says that a pious old woman completely anointed the colossal image with the milk brought by her in a ''gullakayi'' or eggplant. The place is also designated as ''Devara Beḷgoḷa'' "White Pond of the God" and ''Gommaṭapuram'' "city of Gommaṭa" in some epigraphs.
History
Shravanabelagola has two hills,
Chandragiri
Chandragiri is a suburb and neighbourhood of Tirupati and located in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of Tirupati urban agglomeration and a major growing residential area in Tirupati It is the mandal headqua ...
and
Vindhyagiri. ''
Acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a ...
''
Bhadrabahu and his pupil
Chandragupta Maurya are believed to have meditated there. Chandragupta Basadi, which was dedicated to Chandragupta Maurya, was originally built there by
Ashoka
Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...
in the third century BC. Chandragiri also has memorials to numerous monks and
Śrāvakas who have meditated there since the fifth century AD, including the last king of the
Rashtrakuta dynasty of
Manyakheta
Malkhed originally known as Manyakheta (IAST: Mānyakheṭa, Prakrit: "Mannakheḍa"), and also known as Malkhed,Village code= 311400 Malkhed (J), Gulbarga, Karnataka is a town in Karnataka, India. It is located on the banks of Kagina river i ...
. Chandragiri also has a famous temple built by
Chavundaraya.
The 58-feet tall monolithic statue of Gommateshwara is located on Vindyagiri Hill. It is considered to be the world's largest monolithic statue. The base of the statue has an inscriptions in
Prakrit
The Prakrits (; sa, prākṛta; psu, 𑀧𑀸𑀉𑀤, ; pka, ) are a group of vernacular Middle Indo-Aryan languages that were used in the Indian subcontinent from around the 3rd century BCE to the 8th century CE. The term Prakrit is usu ...
, dating from 981 AD. The inscription praises the king who funded the effort and his general, Chavundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother. Every twelve years, thousands of devotees congregate here to perform the
Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is anointed with Water, Turmeric, Rice flour, Sugar cane juice, Sandalwood paste, saffron, and gold and silver flowers. Recently Mahamastakabhisheka was held in 2018 during feb month. The next
Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2030.
Shravanabelagola, nestled by the Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri Hills, protected by the monolith Bhagwan
Bahubali, and home to over 2,300 years of Jain heritage, is a veritable picture postcard of our history and heritage spanning the centuries. In the town of Shravanabelagola, stands a colossal rock-cut statue of Lord Gommateshwara Shri Bahubali. About eight hundred odd inscriptions which the
Karnataka Archeological Department has collected at the place are mostly Jaina and cover a very extended period from 600 to 1830 A.D. Some refer even to the remote time of Chandragupta Maurya and also relate the story of the first settlement of Jains at Shravanabelagola. That this village was an acknowledged seat of learning is proved from the fact that a priest from here named Akalanka was in 788 A.D. summoned to the court of Himasitala at Kanchi where having confuted the Buddhists in public disputation, he was instrumental in gaining their expulsion from the South of India to Ceylon.
Inscriptions
More than 800 inscriptions have been found at Shravanabelagola, dating to various times from 600 AD to 1830 AD. A large number of these are found in the Chandragiri and the rest can be seen in the Vindhyagiri Hill and the town. Most of the inscriptions at the Chandragiri date back before the 10th century. These inscriptions include texts in the Kannada. The second volume of
Epigraphia Carnatica
''Epigraphia Carnatica'' is a set of books on epigraphy of the Old Mysore region of India, compiled by Benjamin Lewis Rice, the Director of the Mysore Archaeological Department. Over a period of about ten years between 1894 and 1905, Rice publis ...
, written by
B. Lewis Rice, is dedicated to the inscriptions found here. It is said to be the oldest Konkani inscription. The inscriptions are written in ''Purvahalagannada'' (Ancient Kannada) and ''Halegannada'' (
Old Kannada) characters. Some of these inscriptions mention the rise and growth in power of the
Western Ganga Dynasty
Western Ganga was an important ruling dynasty of ancient Karnataka in India which lasted from about 350 to 1000 CE. They are known as "Western Gangas" to distinguish them from the Eastern Gangas who in later centuries ruled over Kalinga (m ...
, the Rashtrakutas, the
Hoysala Empire, the
Vijayanagara Empire and the
Udaiyaar dynasty. These inscriptions have helped modern scholars to understand the nature and development of the Kannada language and its literature.
Tyagada Brahmadeva Pillar is a decorated freestanding pillar (''lit'', ''
Stambha
A stambha (''tower'' in English) is a pillar or column found in India. In the context of Hindu mythology, it is believed to be a cosmic column that functions as a bond, joining heaven (Svarga) and earth (Prithvi). A number of Hindu scriptures, ...
''), tall, commissioned by
Chamundaraya. The pillar dates to around 983 CE and exists on the Vindyagiri hill (called ''Dodda Betta'' in local Kannada language. On the base of the pillar, on the north side, is an inscription in old
Kannada language
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native ...
of the same period.
Basadi
; Vindhyagiri hill
#
Odegal basadi is the largest basadi on Vindhyagiri hill. The temple derives the name from 'Odega', i.e., soapstone used for strengthening the walls of the temple. The temple houses image of Rishabhanatha, Neminatha and Shantinatha.
; Chandragiri hill
#
Chandragupta basadi
Chandragupta basadi ( kn, ಚಂದ್ರಗುಪ್ತ ಬಸದಿ) is one of the smaller basadis (Jain temples) located on the Chandragiri Hill in Sravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Archaeological Survey of India has listed ...
was established in the 9th century. The middle cell of this temple has the figure of
Parshvanatha, the one to the right the figure of
Padmavathi and the one to the left the figure of
Kushmandini, all in a seated posture.
#
Chamundaraya Basadi is one of the largest temples on the hill. It is also known as Chavundaraya Basadi. It is dedicated to
Neminatha, the 22nd
Tirthankara. The sukhanasi consists of good figures of Sarvahna and Kushmandini, the yaksha and yakshi of Neminatha. It is dated back to 982 A.D.
#
Parshvanath Basadi is one of the two tallest temple tallest structure in Shravanabelagola. the temple houses a monolithic colossal of
Parshvanatha. The temple dates back to 12th century. The front of the temple has a tall
manastambha.
# Kattale Basadi is the largest temple on the hill. The temple features a
garbhagriha,
pradakshinapatha,
sukanasa and a navranga joined by 16 pillars. the temple's front is joined with Chandragupta basadi. The temple houses an idol of
Rishabhanatha flanked by chauri bearers.
The Sasana Basadi, Savitagandharva Basadi, Terina Basadi and Santiswara Basadi are other important temples on the Chandragiri hill.
; In town
#
Akkana Basadi
Akkana Basadi (''lit'', temple of the "elder sister", basadi is also pronounced ''basti'') is a Jain temple (basadi) built in 1181 A.D., during the rule of Hoysala empire King Veera Ballala II. The basadi was constructed by the devout Jain la ...
was built in 1181 A.D. Akkana Basadi has 23rd
Tirthankara Parshwanath as main deity of the temple.
#
Bhandari basadi is the largest temple in Shravanabelagola and enshrines idols of 24 tirthankar in arranged in a single row. The temple was constructed by ''Hula Raja'', a general and ''bhandari'' () during the reign of King
Narasimha I of
Hoysala Empire in 1159 CE.
Mahamastakabhisheka
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 anointment of the
Bahubali Gommateshwara Statue located at Shravanabelagola. It is an important Jain festival held once in every 12 years. It is an integral part of the ancient and composite Jain tradition. The festival is held in veneration of a 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
Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It i ...
.
The event has been attended by multiple political personalities including
Krishna-Rajendra Udaiyaar in 1910, and
Narendra Modi and
Ramnath Kovind in 2018.
Other notable things
Shravanabelagola is the seat of the ancient
Bhattaraka Matha, belonging to the
Desiya Gana lineage of
Mula Sangh, from the
Digambara
''Digambara'' (; "sky-clad") is one of the two major schools of Jainism, the other being '' Śvētāmbara'' (white-clad). The Sanskrit word ''Digambara'' means "sky-clad", referring to their traditional monastic practice of neither possessing ...
monastic traditionBahubali College of Engineeringis an educational institute at Shravaṇabeḷagoḷa.
Shravanabelagola is also part of the route followed by the luxury tourist train, the
Golden Chariot.
The government of Karnataka showcased the statue of Lord Gometashwara at the
Republic Day
Republic Day is the name of a holiday in several countries to commemorate the day when they became republics.
List
January 1 January in Slovak Republic
The day of creation of Slovak republic. A national holiday since 1993. Officially cal ...
Parade of 2005 where it received the first prize from the then President of India Honourable
Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
On August 5, 2007, the statue at Shravanabelagola was voted by the readers of ''Times of India'' as the first of the Seven Wonders of India with 49% votes in favor of the statue.
Archaeological Survey of India has listed the group of monuments in Shravanabelagola as ''Adarsh Smarak Monument''.
Notable people
*
Bhattaraka Charukeerthi Swamiji, pontiff of the Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt
See also
*
Channarayapatna
Channarayapatna is a town and Taluk headquarters in Hassan district of Karnataka, India. It lies on the Bangalore-Mangalore National Highway 75 in Karnataka, India.It has number of temples like Channakeshava temple, Anjaneya temple, Tejigereyam ...
*
Kantharajapura
*
Shravaneri
*
Belur, Karnataka
*
Halebidu
*
Venur
*
Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India.
The town is known for its centuries old Dharmasthala Te ...
*
Mangaluru
*
Karkala
''Karkala'' also known as Karla in Tulu language, is a town and the headquarters of Karkala taluk in the Udupi district of Karnataka, India. Located about 60 km from Mangalore in the Tulu Nadu region of the state,it lies near the foothill ...
*
Jainism in Karnataka
Karnataka, a state in South India has a long association with Jainism, a religion which enjoyed patronage of major historic kingdoms in the state such as the Rastrakuta Dynasty, Western Ganga, Kadamba and Chalukya dynasties and the Hoysala E ...
*
List of Jain temples
Jain temples and '' tirtha'' (pilgrimage sites) are present throughout the Indian subcontinent, many of which were built several hundred years ago. Many of these temples are classified according to Jain sects. Idols of ...
*
Jain temples, Halebidu
Jain Basadi complex in Halebidu, Hassan district consists of three Jain Basadis (Basti or temples) dedicated to the Jain Tirthankars Parshvanatha, Shantinatha and Adinatha. The complex is situated near Kedareshwara temple and ''Dwarasamudra ...
References
Citations
Soruces
* Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983
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External links
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The Bhattarakas of Shravanabelgola and Mudabidri More About Shravanabelgola From Karnataka Tourism DepartmentShravanabelgola Bahubali Mahamasthakabhisheka / Mahamastakabhisheka Mahotsava
{{Authority control
Cities and towns in Hassan district
Holy cities
Tourist attractions in Hassan district
Jain temples in Karnataka
Jain rock-cut architecture
Jain pilgrimage sites
10th-century Jain temples