South India Temple Tours

Shravanabelagola is a famous Jain pilgrimage Center located in the Hassan district of Karnataka. The main attraction of this sacred destination is a 17 m tall statue of Lord Gomteshwara Bahubali. It is the tallest monolithic ( carved out of a single rock) statue in the world. The statue of the Lord is a symbol of victory over earthly desires. The term Shravanabelagola means 'the land of pond' as the town has several huge ponds. Located in the Manjunath Temple, this statue was built by Chamundaraya, a minister of King Rachamatta of Ganga dynasty in 983 A.D. Devotees from far and wide come here to take the blessings of the Lord. There are several Jain temples surrounding the statue.

According to the legend Lord Gomateshwara was a prince named Bahubali. His elder brother was cruel and greedy and wanted to take away his kingdom . The brave Bahubali fought to save his kingdom. But after witnessing the bloodshed, his compassionate heart did not allow him to continue the battle, although he had almost won. He decided to give away everything and left all his worldly possessions. He lived a very simple life and later attained enlightenment.

The 500 inscriptions of Shravanabelagola are truly a treat to the eyes. They are written in various languages and some of them mention the development of the kingdoms of the bygone era.

The festival of Mahamastakabhisheka is celebrated with great fervor at Shravanabelagola in every 12 years. The festival will be celebrated next in the year 2018. Several rituals are performed during the festival such as the statue of the Lord is bathed in milk, sugarcane juice and saffron paste. One of the main highlights of the festival is that millions of flowers are showered on the statue from a helicopter. The view is a sight to behold.