Shravanabelagola is a small town in Hassan district, Karnataka, set between two granite hills. On the larger, Vindhyagiri, stands the colossal figure of Bahubali, called Gommateshwara, cut from a single rock and dated to the late tenth century. On the smaller, Chandragiri, stand older temples and the memorials of monks. It is one of the most important Digambara tirths.
The name is often explained as “the white pond of the monks”, from the town’s tank, and the hills have been a place of Jain monastic life for well over a thousand years.
The statue
Bahubali is the son of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara, in the Jain account, and is remembered as the prince who gave up his kingdom after a contest with his brother Bharata and stood in meditation so long that creepers grew around his limbs. The Rishabhanatha page gives the story. The statue shows him standing, unclothed and still, with the creepers carved up his legs and arms.
It is about fifty-seven feet high, and is among the largest free-standing monolithic statues in the world. The date usually given is 981 CE, and the patron was Chavundaraya, a minister and general of the Western Ganga kingdom, as the history page records.
Chandragiri and the monks
Chandragiri holds a group of small temples called basadis and many inscriptions, among them records of monks who undertook sallekhana, the voluntary and gradual fast at the end of life, described on the Santhara page. Hundreds of inscriptions on the two hills record this. Digambara tradition links the hill with the monk Bhadrabahu and the emperor Chandragupta Maurya, saying that the emperor became a monk and ended his life here. Historians have long debated the details, and the account is a tradition and not a settled fact.
History where scholars agree
Scholars agree that the site was a centre of Jain monastic life from at least the early medieval period, that the Gommateshwara statue was consecrated in the late tenth century under Ganga patronage, and that the town has been the seat of a lineage of Digambara heads called bhattarakas for many centuries. They are less sure about the earliest centuries, which rest on the monastic tradition rather than on contemporary records.
The anointing
Once every twelve years the statue is anointed from scaffolding with water, milk, sugar cane juice, turmeric and other substances, in the ceremony called the Mahamastakabhisheka. The most recent was in 2018 and the next is expected in 2030. Between those years there are smaller anointings, and the site is visited all year.
How to reach it
- Nearest airport: Bengaluru is the usual gateway, about three hours by road. Mysuru has a smaller airport and is closer, with fewer flights.
- Nearest railway station: Channarayapatna, about a dozen kilometres away, and Hassan Junction as a larger railhead.
- Jain dharamshalas and a dining hall are in the town, near the foot of Vindhyagiri.
The climb and etiquette
The ascent of Vindhyagiri is a flight of about six hundred rock-cut steps, which many climbers take barefoot. It is manageable for most people, with rests, but is steep and exposed in the heat. Chandragiri is a shorter climb.
- Leave footwear and leather at the base of the hill.
- Dress modestly, and keep your voice low at the statue, which is an object of worship.
- Photography is allowed in the open at the statue in many seasons, but rules change and shrines inside the basadis are often closed to cameras. Follow the signs.
- Do not climb on or touch the walls and inscriptions on Chandragiri.
- If the anointing is under way, expect large crowds and plan with the trust.
We have not given timings or fees, since they change.
Related
- Tirth guides: eight pilgrim places
- Rishabhanatha: the first Tirthankara
- Santhara: the vow at the end of life
- Jain history: temples and patrons
- Mahavirji
Frequently asked questions
↳ Who is Gommateshwara?
It is the name of Bahubali, son of the first Tirthankara, as the statue is known at Shravanabelagola. He is honoured for his long meditation and his renunciation of a kingdom.
↳ How tall is the statue?
About fifty-seven feet, cut from a single piece of granite. It was consecrated in 981 CE.
↳ How often is the Mahamastakabhisheka held?
Once in twelve years. The last was in 2018 and the next is expected in 2030.
↳ Is Shravanabelagola Digambara or Shvetambara?
It is a Digambara tirth, with a long line of Digambara heads in the town. Visitors from every tradition are welcome within the rules of the place.