Sravanabelagola

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The word Sravanabelagola means, `The Monk on Top of the Hill'.

A small pilgrimage town with a population of approximately 3,500 this is the most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India and the site of a huge 17 Meter high statue of Lord Bahubali and is said to be the world's tallest Monolithic statue.

The statue is perched on top of the rocky hill known as Indragiri and is visible for quite a distance.

The town has a long historical pedigree going back to the 3rd century BC when Chandragupt Maurya came here after renouncing his Kingdom. Jainism in South India was established by Bhagwan Bhadrabahu Swami reaching the zenith of its influence between 4th & 10th Century AD.

The statue of Lord Bahubali was created during the reign of King Rachamalla in 981 AD and built by sculptor Assistanemi.

To reach the Statue of Lord Bahubali atop the Indragiri Hill, one has to climb 614 rock-cut steps, which is not much of an effort considering the magnanimity and the religious significance of the place.

Shravanabelagola in Hassan District is 157 km away from Bangalore is an important Jaina centre. There is a pond and two stony hills, called Chandragiri and Indragiri. Chandragiri has the Chandragupta basadi of the Gangas and the Parashwanatha basadi here is the biggest. The town below the hill has the Jaina matha whose walls have very old paintings. Indragiri has the Gommata monolith, 58' tall, installed by a Ganga general and scholar Chavundaraya, and also Siddhara basadi, Odegal basadi, Chennanna basadi and Chauvvisa Tirthankara basadi, and also the finely engraved pillar called Tyagada Brahma Pillar. The floral designs on it are excellent. To the north of town is Jinanathapura which has the Aregal basadi and the Shantinatha basadi of Hoysala times. Shravanabelagola has over 500 inscriptions, and some of them are recording death by starving (`sallekhana') by Jaina ascetics and laymen.

Badami | Bangalore | Belur | Bidar | Bijapur | Coorg | Gulburga | Hampi | Hassan | Hospet | Mysore