- Statue height
- About 17 m
- Carved
- Around 983 AD
- Timings
- 6 am to 11.30 am, 3.30 pm to 6.30 pm
- Distance from Mysore
- About 89 km
- Nearest airport
- Bangalore, about 165 km
The statue and its story
Bahubali was a son of Rishabhanatha, the first Tirthankara. He fought his elder brother Bharata for the kingdom and won each contest, but then gave up the throne and turned to meditation. He stood in penance so long that creepers wound around his legs and arms, a detail you can see carved on the statue. He attained perfect knowledge, and the name Gomateshwara is linked to the Kannada word for great.
The figure is carved in the Digambara tradition, standing unclothed on a lotus to show freedom from worldly ties, with a calm face. Yaksha and Yakshi figures stand beside it, and images of the 24 Tirthankaras line the enclosure. An inscription at the base records Chavundaraya, a general of the Ganga king Rajamalla, who had the statue made in honour of his mother.
The two hills
The town sits between Vindhyagiri, where the statue stands, and Chandragiri, which has a cluster of old Jain basadis. Climbing Vindhyagiri means several hundred rock-cut steps, so start early and carry water. Footwear must be left at the base.
Mahamastakabhisheka
Roughly every twelve years the statue is anointed from a scaffold with milk, curd, ghee, sugarcane juice, saffron water and flowers. The last one was held in 2018 and drew huge crowds; the next is expected around 2030.
Timings, dress and how to reach
Darshan hours are usually 6 am till 11.30 am, then again 3.30 pm till 6.30 pm, with prasadam served from noon. Dress neatly and modestly.
The town lies around 89 km by road from Mysore; the closest junction on the Bangalore highway is Hirisave, some 18 km away. Bangalore airport is around 165 km away. Regular buses and taxis connect the town. Nearby temples within about 35 to 70 km include Sri Sowmyakeshava Perumal, Sri Venugopalaswamy, Chowdeshwari and the Lakshmi Devi temple at Doddagaddavalli. We can plan it with Belur and Halebidu.
Also nearby
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