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Gommafes vara Statues in Karnataka
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the latter got the statue carved in 983 A. D. According to the historical evidence available recording this statue, it was Cāmundarāya who got it installed. Three inscriptions of 10th century attribute this Bāhubali statue to Cāmundarāya as “Camundarāja caused (this image) to be made.” Another inscription of 1180 confirms that Cāmuṇdaraja, a minister of Rācamalla caused this image to be made. But the camundrāya Purāņa, which Cāmundarāya himself wrote in 978 A. D., deals with his life, wars that he fought, adventures, etc. without any mention anywhere about the installation of the Gommateśvara statue. This points out that the statue did not exists before 978 A. D. The available sources today confirm that it was carved in 982 A. D. There were different opinions about the height of the statue. Mr. Browring, who was the Chief Commissioner of Mysore, got this height measured and as published by him it was 57 feet.
There are some specialities in this statue of Sravanabe!goļa. This monolithic statue is carved out of the tapering edge of the hill itself. Ant-hills are carved beside the legs upto the knees. Serpents are at the mouth of the ant-hills. There are creepers entwining the legs and have flown through the fore-arms terminating at the arms. Poet Boppana describes these ant-hills and creepers like this: "The ant-hills and the pressing and entwining creepers on the body looking as if the earth and creeper-like women owing to their grief came and tightly embraced him, saying 'why have you forsaken us? The state of Gommaţadeva's intense application to penance was honoured by the lords of serpents, gods and sages”.
This statue has curly hair on its head which do not descend down to the shoulders. As there are lotus-petals carved around the feet, it looks as if the statue is standing on a lotus pedestal. It is remarkably significant to note that inspite of the fully grown ant-hills and dreadful serpents, embracing creepers, the facial expression of the statue as carved by the sculptor very well gives out the undisturbed state of mind and severity of penance. In the words of Boppaņa the grandeur and beauty of the statue is as follows: “When an image is lofty it may not be beautiful; though it may be lofty and really beautiful it may not have magnificence. Loftiness, real beauty and magnificence all being confined in only one thing, how worthy of veneration in this world should that glorious form be, being comparable to itself, of Gommațeśvara- Jina !”
It is considered to be one of the greatest sights to witness the holy Mahamastakabhişeka of Gommateśvara on the Vindyagiri popularly known as the Doddabetta. Generally the Mahāmastakābhişeka ceremony is performed once in twelve years.
Next to Sravanabelgoļa comes the Gommateśvara statue of Kārkala in South Canara district. It was installed on a hill near Kārkala town, in 1432 A.D., by Virapāņdya, son of Bhairavarāja. The statue is 411 feet tall. The history relat
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