Gommateshvara Commemoration Volume

SR No.: 012066
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi
Publication Year: 1981
Total Pages: 198
Language: English, Hindi
Classification: Smruti_Granth & Articles
File Size: 8 MB

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Gommages vara Commemoration Volume
Two Traditions :
Two traditions are particularly obvious, as far as the sculptare of the above Gommateśvara images which we have considered. The art of images of Bādāmi, Aihole and Ellora belongs to one tradition and that of Sravanabelgola, Kārkala, Vegūr, Gommatagiri and Basti-Hosakoţe speaks of the other tradition. The images of Bādāmi and Aihole in North Karnataka and of Ellora caves towards north of Karnataka have the hair on their head down till the shoulders and two women stand holding creepers in hand near their feet. But the statues which are found in Sravanabelgoļa, Kārkala, Veņür and other places in South Karnataka are different. Perhaps age as well as regional factors might be responsible for this. The images of North Karnataka stand by one tradition following the Bādāmi cave model i.e., the hair down to the shoulders, the image being chiselled as a part of the wall of the cave itself (Bas-relief). On the other hand, with the installation of the colossal statue of Gommateśvara at Sravanabelgola another tradition came into existance, the features of which can be found in Kārkala, Veņūr, Gommațagiri and other places. But however the statue at Dharmasthaļa isolates itself from both the parameters viz., regional influence and age. This is in South Karnataka and of a recent origin. But unlike the statue of Sravanabe!goļa it follows the model of Badāmi with hair down to the shoulders.
Two other images of Gommateśvara have drawn my attention. Both of them are on the big hill of Sravanabelgoļa. To one side of the wall circumscribing the great statue of Gommaieśvara, beside the foot-prints of Gandharva there is a Gommateśvara image of about 5 feet tall. There is a halo of about 7 feet, in height starting from the side of the feet, and it has creepers well twined. The curls of the creepers consist of the figures of peacocks and angels. Two women with creepers in hand stand at the feet of the image. The other Gommateśvara image is to the right of the Akhanga-Bāgilu on the big hill. This dates back to 12th century A.D. The image is carved out of mother rock and is a bas-relief. It is about 51 feet tall with no ant-hills or snakes at the feet. The legs and hands are entwined by creepers. Here also two women holding creepers stand on both sides of the feet of the image. The significant aspect is that though both these images are in neighbourhood of the colossal statue, it is strange how the sculptors of these images were not influenced by the latter to chisel out ant-hills with serpents beside the feet.
Besides the images of Gommāțeśvara referred to above there are so many other such images both in Karnataka and outside. It is necessary to have an intense research into the age, region and reasons for the installation of those images.
This paper may be concluded with the message of Bahubali-Gommateśvara in the words of Poet Boppaga: "No man shall take pleasure in killing, lying,