Famous for the wonderful colossal
statue of Lord Bahubali Gomateshwara, Shravanabelagola is one of most
remarkable place of Jain pilgrimage. Shravanabelagola means 'white pond of the
ascetic' settles between two rocky hills. The larger hill is called
Indragiri/Vindyagiri or Doddabetta whereas the smaller one is known as
Chandragiri or Chikkabetta.
The pond had been dry for a long
time. Later in 17th Century Chikka Deva raja Wodeyar converted it into temple
tank at the foot of larger hill. Although Shravanabelagola in itself is a small
town with population less than 5000, it is fortunated with some interesting
monuments.
The literal translation of
'Shravana' provides Jain Tirthankara or the ascetic Human being who has
renounced everything related to the materialist world including the need to be
dressed, and that of Belagola intends “a white lake”.
A Brief History
According to legend when Emperor
Vrishabhadeva renounced his kingdom to lead a life of penance, a mortal
conflict originated between his two sons over his empire which led to bitter
battle. The hard fought battle was won by the elder son Bahubali (Who later
became the second Tirthankar). At the moment of his victory Bahubali realized
the flesh of revelation and the shallowness of the materialist world. He gave
away the kingdom to his younger brother Bharata and moved for a life of an
ascetic that continued for thousands of years. It is believed that he stood
motionless in meditation for so long that anthills formed at his feet and vines
grew around his body. People believe that his penance still continues in the
form of colossal statue of Gomateshwar which is a wonder of sculptural art,
symbolism and engineering.
Festivities
A car festival is held on this day
at Shravanabelagola with great devotion.
Once in twelve years, 'at certain
conjunctions of the heavenly bodies' the 'mastakabhisheka' or the head
anointing ceremony of bahubali is performed. At this auspicious occasion the
statue of Bahubali is bathed in milk, ghee, curd, Vermillion, flowers saffron,
sandalwood, and finally silver, gold coins and 1008 pots of holy water. Lacks
of devotees gather and celebrate the festival with profound enthusiasm.
How to Commute
There are not many direct busses
from Bangalore to Shravanabelagola but most of the busses (except the
direct/luxury services) going to Hassan stops at Hirisave and Channarayapatna.
You can get down at Hirisave which is 18 km away from Shravanabelagola but
there is no frequent connectivity to Shravanabelagola. Either you wait for the
KSRTC bus which may be a long wait or hop into any shared auto to
Shravanabelagola.
Another option is, you can get
down at Channarayapatna which is much preferred because of better connectivity
with Shravanabelagola. From Channarayapatna, you can get a KSRTC bus to
Shravanabelagola (11km).
Distance from Major Towns
Bangalore: 176 km
Hassan: 49 km
Belur: 85 km
Halebidu: 79 km
Mysore: 83 km
Nearest Railway station: Hassan
Nearest Airport: Bangalore
Other Attractions
Monuments at Indragiri/Vindyagiri or Doddabetta, Odegal Basti (Trikuta Basti), Tyagada Kamba, Akhanda Bagilu, Gullekayi Ajji Mantapa and Chennanna Basti.