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The Gangas and Sravanabelgola and patronised Jaina religion. In the days of the Gangas the glory of Sravanabelgola reached its climax.
The Garga kingdom, according to a tradition narrated in a later inscription", was founded mainly with the help of a Jaina preceptor named Simhanandi and probably on account of this they had great regard for Jainism. But it is hard to say whether Korguộivarma the founder member of the family who is said to have obtained the sword to cut the pillar of hurdles in establishing the kingdom and also the five tokens from the preceptor had any connection with Sravanabe!go!a. However there is reference to this incident in the inscription referred to above.
Siva māra scems to be the first Ganga King to have come into contact with Sravanabelgola. The name of Sivamāra® is found on the rock near Candranatha Basadi at Belgola. According to this inscription, it is believed that this King constructed a basadi nearby. But this view is not accepted by Dr. B. R. Gopal, who, while editing the inscriptions of Sravanabe!go!a rightly says that "the mere mention of the name is certainly not an evidence to identify him with the Ganga king. It may be mentioned here in passing, a closer examination of the workmanship of the images and the architectural features would suggest that this monument will have to be assigned to, say, 9th-10th cent. A.D. and not earlier."'16
The subsequent ruler after Sivamāra who is connected with Sravanabelgola, was Mārasimha. His connection with Sravanabelgoļa is established by an inscription" on a pillar in that place. The pillar is locally known as Kūge Brahmadēva pillar, which was erected to commemorate the King's death at Barkāpura.
The spectacular contribution of the Gangas to Jaina religion is the collosal image of Gommatēšvara at Sravaņabe!gola. It is the creation of Cāvundarāya, the genius among the Ganga ministers. The circumstances that led Cavundasāya to erect the image of Bahubali i. e., Gommatēśvara at Sravanabelgoļa is narrated in an inscription" found in the place. During Cāvundarāya's time there was a tradition in current that Bharata erected an image of Bahubali, his brother, at Paudanapura and the image was 525 bows in height and the image had supernatural powers. Cāvundarāya being impressed by this tradition developed a keen desire of visiting this place. But he was told by the people that the journey was beyond his reach on account of the distance and also of inaccessibility of the region. Hence he resolved to erect an image of the type that is said to have been in Paudanapura. With great effort he did succeed in getting this statue made. As the inscription is quite interesting it is worth quoting the passage here :
... rājyamanittu põgi tapadim karmmārividhyamsiyada mahātmam purusūnu
Bahubaļi volmattārā mānom natar u Dhritajayabāhu Bāhubalikēvali sūpasamāna pañca vimšati samupēta
panca-satachāpasamum
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