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Gommateśvara Commemoration Volume Parávanātha on the other side. This is nothing but a direct influence of Bādāmi and Aihole caves.
There are two images of Gommateśvara in the 30th cave of Ellora popularly known as Chotā Kailāsa. There is an image on the right side of the hall in the 31st cave. The whole body of the image is entwined by creepers. To the right side there is a Gandharva, a demi-god, flying in the sky with a garland in his hands. To the left are chisselled celestial couples as well as Gandharvas with garlands in there hands. Just beside the image two women are seen with folded hands.
The 32nd cave with two stairs carved 200 feet into the rock is well known as Indrasabhā. There are in total six Gommateśvara images here. Of the several Gommateśvara images found all over Ellora, the one that is found here is considered to be the most significant and beautiful. This image being entwined by creepers is surrounded by all types of lives Deer, serpent, rat, scorpion as well as a dog can be easily recognised. To the right there is a male devotee, and on both sides there are two women. It is generally presumed that the man is his elder brother Bharata and the women his sisters, Brahmi and Sundari. This bears a spec acular semblance with the episode where Bharata requests Bahubali to give up his pride.
Caves 33 and 34 have two and one Gommateśvara images respectively. In Ellora there are in all 12 Gommateśvara images. The significant features of these images are :
1. As the image was carved in bas-relief in stone background it was possi
ble to chisel out the Gandharvas flying in sky on the same background. 2. Of these images some have got curly hair upto the shoulders and some
have got it descending down till breasts and armpits. As mentioned
earlier this is an impact of the Gommateśvar image of the Badāmi cave. 3. Nowhere do we find Gommațeśvara with two women on both sides and
a man in front of him.
The Gommateśvara image of Sravaņabelgola is world famous. It is considered to be one of the wonders of the world. It is an incomparable contribution of Karnataka to Indian sculpture. It is perfect from all points of view. It was carved during the reign of the Gangas who were responsible for the development of architecture in Karnataka. There are several stories referring to the antiquity of this statue. The Rājāyaļikathe of Devacandra states that Rāma and Sitā brought this from Lanka and installed here. When mother Kālaļādevi wanted to see Bahubali at Paudanapura but could not do so, it is said that her son Cāmundarāya got this installed here. According to the Bhujabalicarite as well as the Sthalapurāņa of Pancabāga, Bāhubali appeared in Cāmundarāya's dream and
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