Shravanabelagola and the Colossus of Bahubali

On the summit of Vindhyagiri hill at Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka stands one of the most awe-inspiring monuments of the ancient world: the colossal monolithic statue of Bahubali, known here as Gommateshwara. Carved from a single block of granite and rising some 57 feet, the serene naked figure stands in the meditative posture of kayotsarga, so absorbed in contemplation that creepers are shown climbing his legs and anthills rising at his feet, signifying the timeless depth of his renunciation.

The statue was commissioned around 981 CE by Chavundaraya, a general and minister of the Western Ganga dynasty, and it has stood atop the hill for more than a thousand years, visible for miles across the surrounding plains. Bahubali was the son of Adinatha, the first Tirthankara, and Jain tradition recounts that after a contest for kingship with his brother Bharata, Bahubali renounced the world at the moment of victory, standing in meditation for so long that he achieved liberation. The statue embodies the Jain ideals of non-attachment, self-conquest and the futility of worldly power.

Shravanabelagola, whose name refers to the white pond around which the town is built, has been a great centre of Digambara Jainism for well over two thousand years. Tradition holds that the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta, having embraced Jainism late in life, came here with his teacher Bhadrabahu and ended his days in the practice of sallekhana, the ritual fast to death, on the neighbouring Chandragiri hill. Chandragiri is covered with older temples, memorial pillars and inscriptions recording centuries of Jain history, and it complements the grand statue on Vindhyagiri opposite.

The great event of Shravanabelagola is the Mahamastakabhisheka, the head-anointing ceremony held roughly once every twelve years, when scaffolding is erected around the colossus and the statue is bathed by devotees from above with milk, water, saffron, sandalwood paste, turmeric, vermilion, gold coins, flowers and other offerings that cascade down the vast stone body in streams of colour. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather for this spectacle, one of the largest religious festivals of the Jain world, and the sight of the anointing liquids pouring over the ancient figure is unforgettable.

Reaching the statue requires climbing several hundred rock-cut steps up the granite face of Vindhyagiri, a barefoot ascent that pilgrims undertake as an act of devotion, with palanquins available for those who need them. From the summit the views over the town, the temple tanks and the distant hills are magnificent, and the statue's calm face gazes out over it all with an expression of profound tranquillity.

The site is dotted with basadis, or Jain temples, and the whole town preserves an atmosphere of deep antiquity and continuous religious life. The numerous inscriptions here are of enormous value to historians, recording gifts, genealogies and events across many centuries and in several languages, making Shravanabelagola one of the richest epigraphic sites in southern India.

Shravanabelagola lies about 150 kilometres from Bengaluru and is easily reached by road from Hassan and Mysuru. It can be visited comfortably year round, though the cooler months are most pleasant, and the town becomes extraordinarily crowded during the Mahamastakabhisheka years. To climb the hill and stand beneath the towering, contemplative figure of Bahubali is to encounter one of the enduring masterpieces of Indian sculpture and faith.