Monolith Of Gommateshwara

JAIN ARCHITECTURE-MONOLITH

Jainism originated in India in the sixth century BC. The Jains developed their own unique style of architecture, which is reflective of their principles of austerity. The main monuments within the architectural repertoire of the Jain style are rock-cut architecture, temples and monoliths.

In the early stages of development, the Jains built a number of rock cut caves, where Jain monks lived and practiced their religion. The halls, rooms, and shrines of these structures were carved out of hillsides in accordance with the ancient practices of rock cut architecture. The rock cut structures built by the Jains resembled the ones made by the Buddhist monks.

As time went by, the Jains started constructing temples like the ones built by the Hindus. The Jain temples are similar to their Hindu counterparts in many ways like the basic structure, pillared galleries, carved pillars, depiction of deities etc. the point of difference were the lavish and minute carvings and the use of marble in the Jain temples in North India and the use of granite in the south Indian temples. One important aspect of the south Indian Jain temples, which sets them apart from their northern counterparts, is their huge monolithic sculptures of deities.

The Jains in south India are known for building a number of monoliths, or huge statues carved out of a single rock, of their deities. Most of these monoliths depict the Jain saint by the name of Gommateshwara also known as Bahubali.

MONOLITH OF GOMMATESHWARA

Sravanabelgola is one of the oldest and most popular Jain pilgrim centers in India. The word 'Sravanabelgola' means the Monk of the White Pond. It is a small village and has two rocky hills rising abruptly out of the plains. On top of the larger hill stands a 58 feet (17 meter) tall granite statue, an extraordinary image of the Jain saint Gommateshwara in the nude. This colossus, reputedly the largest monolithic sculpture in the world, has been carved out of a living rock. The figure dominates the landscape and can be seen from as far away as 25 kilometers. 614 steps carved on the rocky slope lead up to the statue.

This sculpture was carved nearly a thousand year ago, when Jainism was flourishing in south India. Chavundaraya, a minister and commandant of King Rachamalla of the Ganga dynasty, installed this gigantic figure.

The Gommateshwara statue at Sravanabelgola is a magnificently rendered figure, symbolic of the glorious state of Jainism in the 10th century A.D. The gigantic proportions of the sculpture have not reduced the sense of feeling and life in the sculpture. The body is perfectly proportioned and reflects effectively the serenity of a soul in search of enlightenment. The head with its curly spirals of hair and the expressive eyes seem to endow the statue with life. The saint's steely determination in penance has been beautifully brought out by the sculptor.

As the Digambar (sky clad) sect of Jainism was more popular at the time, the idols of Jain monks and saints are all naked and they are depicted only in two positions, either sitting as in a yogic pose or standing straight, with hands hanging down along the body without any flexion. The unclothed male figures of the Jain pantheon are expressive of the ascetic aspect of the faith and are far removed from sensuality. They are indicative of the isolation of one who has transcended every bond. Gommateshwara is always shown in a standing posture and his distinguishing feature is a creeper growing around his legs. The empty spaces that the sculptor provides between the hands and the body and between the legs of the image are meant to emphasis the splendid aloofness of these saints.

In subsequent centuries, some kings of this area also erected granite idols of Gommateshwara hewn from massive rocks like the one at Sravanabelgola. But none of them match the size and grace of the original.

LEGEND OF GOMMATESHWARA

The story of Gommateshwara has been an enduring theme in the art and literature of the southern state of Karnataka. Adinath, the first of the 24 Jain saints (Tirthankars) had two sons- Bharatha, the first mythical king of India and Bahubali, who later came to be known as Gommateshwara. The two brothers competed for their father's kingdom and faced each other in many duels both physical and intellectual. Bahubali emerged as the victor in all the encounters but gave away the kingdom to Bharatha preferring the path of enlightenment. He stood in penance, naked, in the forest, unmindful of the snakes that crawled over him, the vines that clambered up his legs, and the anthill that arose around him. Years passed and Bahubali unflinchingly waited for enlightenment. It came the moment his brother, Bharatha, recognized his spirituality and started worshipping him. Bahubali then became Gommateshwara.

Legend has it that Chavundaraya's mother dreamt of seeing a mammoth statue of Gommateshwara and vowed not to eat till she saw her dream realized. The mother and son set out on a pilgrimage and came across the two hills at Sravanabelgola, which was already venerated as a sacred spot by the Jains. Here Chavundaraya chose the larger hill for the statue and ordered the carving of the monolith out of a mount that stood on top. The image was consecrated in AD 980. According to local legend, it was Aristanami, the sculptor, who created the image.

FESTIVAL

Every 12 years, the statue of Gommateshwara is anointed with tons of coconut milk, jaggery, curd, bananas, milk, poppy seeds, sandalwood, and saffron, during the Mahamastakabhisheka ceremony. Thousands of Jain pilgrims from all over the world throng Sravanabelgola to witness this interesting religious spectacle.

IMPORTANT MONUMENTS NEARBY

The Chandragiri hill, adjacent to the Indragiri hill has three Jain temples. One of these temples has well preserved murals, which depict episodes from Jain mythology.

HOW TO REACH

Sravanabelgola does not have an airport and the nearest airports are in Bangalore 160 km away and Mysore about 75 km away. It does not have a railway station either and the nearest railhead is in Mysore. It is well connected by road to important centers in Karnataka. The Karnataka State Tourism Development Council (KSTDC) operates tours from Mysore and Bangalore to Sravanabelgola.