Shravanabelagola

Shravanabelagola

This is among the most important Jain pilgrimage center in India. Shravanabelagola is a small town which is famous for the gigantic statue of Lord Bahubali. It is situated between two hills called Chandragiri and Indragiri. The statue is perched on top of Indragiri hill at an altitude of 3000 feet above sea level. From the top, one can enjoy the mesmerizing view of Shravanabelagola Town at the foot. Rising to a height of 18 m, it is the highest monolithic statue in the world. The statue of Lord Bahubali was installed in the year 988 by Chavundaraya, the minister of Rachamalla Sathyavakya of Ganga Dynasty. Number of Pilgrims reaches its highest during the 'Mahamastakabhisheka' festival. This is a Jain festival that is held every 12 years. On the day of the festival, the statue of Lord Bahubali is bathed in milk, sugarcane juice and is applied with saffron paste. At the end, the statue is showered with flowers from a helicopter. The festival was last held in the year 2006 and is next scheduled in 2018.