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Several participants danced and sang fully drenched with emotions. In fantasy, devotees rushed to the base of the image to be drenched in the streaming showers of colour. To many it was a most pleasant and even unforgetable experience of the life to be all wet in sandal, saffron and the like liquids which touched the body of their Lord. Many devotees spread their dhotees, which they were wearing, in drains and squeezed the liquid into flasks and glasses and even the plastic covers of their invitation cards as holy substance to take home. For some it was an even deeper experience, a moment of some psychic revelation or simple spiritual therapy. Several young women devotees who stood in a corner of the temple courtyard, had their arms out-stretched and mouths open as if yeaning for more of these blissful moments. Others bowed and moaned in ecstasy at the foot of the Lord. The visual splendour of the event would have its unique importance for ages to come, both as a religious pilgrimage and a tourist extravaganza.
As the Abhisheka was in progress a hovering helicopter showered flower petals on the sacred statue. The nine hour poojah and head anointment ceremonies came to an end around 3.00 P.M. The whole affair was conducted under the direction of erudite Ailacharya Vidyanandji and under the personal supervision of Bhattarak Charukirti Swamiji.
A day earlier, on 21st February 1981, the Prime Minister of India, Sint. Indira Gandhi, showered flower petals on the colossus from a helicopter and offered a silver plated coconut to be placed at the feet of the deity. She also addressed a mammoth gathering of over a lakh of devotees appreciating the colossus of Lord Bahubali as a symbol of country's rich heritage and the contribution of Bhagwan Bahubali and Mahavir to propagation of non-violence and peace, and the great contribution of Jainism to Indian literature. She released a number of cultural magazines brought out on the occasion.
Smt Indira Gandhi had set the wheel of Mahamastakabhisheka ceremonies move by inaugurating the "Jana Mangal Kalash", a huge copper vessel of 8 feet height and 7 feet diameter installed on a vehicle, at a large public meeting held outside the Red Fort at Delhi on September 29, 1980. After passing through a large number of towns and cities of the country, the Kalasha reached Sravanbelgola on February 20, 1981.
The ceremonies in the chain of five week long head anointment programme were started at Sravanbelgola on February 9, 1981 by mangal poojah, and inauguration and flag hoisting by Karnataka Chief Minister, Shri Gundu Rao and release of one rupee commemorative postage stamp of Lord Babubali by the Union Communication Minister, Shri C. M. Stephen in the spacious Chamundraya pavilion. The functions which continued upto February, 25, 1981 in a particular and March 15, 1981 in general included Pancha Kalyanak Mahotsava on five days, ballet on Bahubali and other cultural programmes. Sarya Dharma Sammejan on February 19, Jana Mangal Kalash Abhisheka of the statue and felicitation of some selected literary and social figures on Feb. 23, and Jalyatra in Kalyani Sarowar on Feb. 24.
भरत और बाहबली दोनों को ही जैनों के दोनों सम्प्रदायों में विशेष स्थान प्राप्त हआ है। आजकल भी श्वेताम्बर व्यापारी शारदा-पूजन के समय अपने बहीखातों के आरम्भ में 'भरत चक्रवर्ती की ऋद्धि होओ' 'बाहुबली का बल होओ' लिखते हैं। दिगम्बर सम्प्रदाय में बाहुबली का वन्दन कर व्यायाम की शिक्षा प्रारम्भ की जाती है, तथा बाहुबली के नाम पर आश्रम और औषधालय आदि चलाये जाते हैं । ईसा की ११वीं शताब्दी में निर्मित आबू की विमल वसही की शिल्पकला में भरत और बाहुबली के युद्ध के दृश्य अंकित हैं। इसी प्रकार शत्रुजय तीर्थ का एक शिखर बाहुबली के नाम से सुप्रसिद्ध हैं । मैसूर से १०० किलो मीटर दूर श्रवणबेलगोल में गंगवंशी राचमल के महामात्य चामुण्डराय (गोम्मटराय) द्वारा १०वीं शताब्दी में ५७ फुट उन्नतकाय गोम्मटेश्वर बाहुबली की दिव्य प्रतिमा दुनिया की शिल्पकला में अपनी सानी नहीं रखती। चारों ओर पहाड़ियों तथा वन-उपवन राशि से घिरी हुई यह विशाल मूर्ति हृदय में दिव्य मनोभावों का संचार करती हुई जान पड़ती है ।
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