Jain saint Bahubali
Jan 14th, 2007, 01:38 PM
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Jain saint Bahubali
Was just reading this fr my w/end travel supplement newspaper. Anyone been there...or like to comment? A pic of a Jain religion on knees in prayer before a colassal statue of the Jain saint Bahubali.
At the top of a hill in the town of Shravanabelagoia in Sth India. Apparently the graceful statue stands more than 18 metres high & more than 1000 yrs old.
Bahubali was a prince who renounced his material wealth & took up the life of as ascetic.
What's the nearest city to fly into if you wanted to visit? Or by train/bus?
At the top of a hill in the town of Shravanabelagoia in Sth India. Apparently the graceful statue stands more than 18 metres high & more than 1000 yrs old.
Bahubali was a prince who renounced his material wealth & took up the life of as ascetic.
What's the nearest city to fly into if you wanted to visit? Or by train/bus?
Jan 15th, 2007, 09:27 PM
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I know little about it except it is in the State of Karnataka, and I believe the town is also spelled Sravanabelgola (that’s what my Indian atlas says anyway, there are often multiple spellings for towns). I think the best place (if not the only place) to fly in would be to Bangalore and then train or bus to Sravanabelgola. I don’t think its more than 80-100 miles from Bangalore if my atlas is correct. Check a Lonely Planet guide, it may be in there. I would think a trip there could be easily combined with a trip to Mysore (its on the way there or back), which is also a fascinating place.
Jan 15th, 2007, 09:58 PM
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Jan 15th, 2007, 10:25 PM
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This collosal monolith of the idol of Bahubali is about 250kms from Bangalore.This imposing statue is revered by the Jains,a religious sect in India.The followers of Mahavir,like Buddha,was a prince who renounced material life and started a religion called Jainism.
Perched high atop a granite hill, and reached only by climbing barefoot up 900 stone steps, the statue of Bahubali stands 56 feet tall and is carved from the same rock that it stands on. Dating back over 1000 years, the statue represents the son of the first tirthankar, Adinath, who renounced all material possessions (including his clothes!) and meditated in the forest for 12 years. So long and deep was his meditation that anthills grew around him and vines became entwined around his arms and legs, all plainly visible on the statue.
As a part of the religious ritual,a 'Mahamastakabhisheka'or an annointing ceremony is held every 12 yrs.The last one was in Feb 2006.The statue is annointed (drenched) in Vemillion,turmuric,milk & honey.Its a sight to behold.
You can reach Hassan or Chikmagalur by road from Bangalore & stay over.Its half an hours' drive from there.
There are also ancient temples at Halebid & Belur which are closeby.These temples were built by the Hoysala Kings around 1117AD.
These temples have become rich repositories of ancient Hindu culture, with their intricate and distinctive architectural style.What the Parthenon is to Greece and the pyramids to Egypt, the Hoysala temples are to South Indian architecture.It is delicate in its filigree work, with the added attraction of bracketed figures of celestial dancers, called Madanikas and exclusive to Belur, and an innumerable variety of intricate pillars.
With some of the most intricate carvings of the Hoysalas, Belur and Halebid boast sculptures and structures typical yet distinctive, reminiscent of the grandeur of an ancient royal civilisation.
Avoid travel in the summer months of March& April,can get very hot you'll be unable to walk barefoot on sizzling granite (as these are religious places)which is needed to get close.
Perched high atop a granite hill, and reached only by climbing barefoot up 900 stone steps, the statue of Bahubali stands 56 feet tall and is carved from the same rock that it stands on. Dating back over 1000 years, the statue represents the son of the first tirthankar, Adinath, who renounced all material possessions (including his clothes!) and meditated in the forest for 12 years. So long and deep was his meditation that anthills grew around him and vines became entwined around his arms and legs, all plainly visible on the statue.
As a part of the religious ritual,a 'Mahamastakabhisheka'or an annointing ceremony is held every 12 yrs.The last one was in Feb 2006.The statue is annointed (drenched) in Vemillion,turmuric,milk & honey.Its a sight to behold.
You can reach Hassan or Chikmagalur by road from Bangalore & stay over.Its half an hours' drive from there.
There are also ancient temples at Halebid & Belur which are closeby.These temples were built by the Hoysala Kings around 1117AD.
These temples have become rich repositories of ancient Hindu culture, with their intricate and distinctive architectural style.What the Parthenon is to Greece and the pyramids to Egypt, the Hoysala temples are to South Indian architecture.It is delicate in its filigree work, with the added attraction of bracketed figures of celestial dancers, called Madanikas and exclusive to Belur, and an innumerable variety of intricate pillars.
With some of the most intricate carvings of the Hoysalas, Belur and Halebid boast sculptures and structures typical yet distinctive, reminiscent of the grandeur of an ancient royal civilisation.
Avoid travel in the summer months of March& April,can get very hot you'll be unable to walk barefoot on sizzling granite (as these are religious places)which is needed to get close.
