Gommateshvara Commemoration Volume

Author(s): T G Kalghatgi
Publisher: Parshwanath Shodhpith Varanasi

Page 57

Gommateśvara Commemoration Volume
Sravanabelgoļa with its fine natural scenery, is at present a small holy township with small lakes growing beautiful lotuses, temples and shines, schools and colleges, Jain monasteries and libraries, and a place of pilgrimage with a Jain Matha presided over by a highly learned Bhattāraka Svāmiji. It is in Hassan District in the present Karnatak State i.e., former Mysore State. In Southern India from the third century onwards the famous Ganga Royal family, following Jain religion, was ruling over vast area including Kannada speaking present Karnatak State having their head-quarters at Mysore and other places. Ganga Royal Dynasty was founded by Mādhava Gangarāj. This royal family produced some learned warrior members. Pūjyapada, an ancient Jain Saint Scholar and author of many important Jain religious books, was the religious preceptor of this Ganga royal family. In the ninth century the head of this Ganga Dynasty was one Narasimha, a great warrior, who was a veritable lion amongst kings as his name suggests. He followed Jain religion both in letter and spirit. He embraced asceticism in his old age and expired in 975 A.D. Cāmundarāya was the General under Narasimha after whose death, his son Rācamalla raised the position of Cāmundarāya to that of Chief Minister and Head of the army. Cāmundarāya had combined in himself rare virtues of religious piety, scholarly temper, coupled with unparalleled heroism exhibited in battle field. Saint Scholar Nemicandra, author of Gommațasāra, was Cāmundarāya's religious counsellor. Cāmundarāya was himself the author of some religious books. His old mother expressed a keen desire to worship the statue of Bahubali if available at Poundanpur, where Bāhubali had ruled for some years; if such a statue is not available, then to have one carved out in old Karnataka area. To fulfil his mother's dream Cāmuṇdaraya selected a Master Sculptor, who shaped the present Bāhubali majestic statue in all its perfection and it was consecreted by Holy Bath and other religious ceremonies in March 981 A. D. So it completes its 1000th year in 1981 March. Therefore a special function of the Great Holy Bath to celebrate the statue's 1000th year is fixed in 198! March under the guidance of the learned Jain Muni, Elacharya Vidyanand Svāmiji. Till now the Holy Bath ceremony was being performed once in every decade. The 1981 function will be a unique event in the religious and cultural history of India in general and Karnataka in particular. It is no wonder, if in commemoration of this unique function of the Holy Bath of this majestic and popular statue, volumes of literature in different languages by different authors will be published.
Object of Idol worship :
Worshipping an idol or image, representing some divinity by whatever name it is called, has been in vogue in human race itself all over the world since long. In primitive days certain objects in Nature were worshipped just to ward off some evil or danger or to receive some earthly benefit. Till the 6th century even in Muslim and Christian countries idol worship was observed on