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220 / The Rāştrakūtas and Jainism
Bāhubali alias Gommața
8.2.4. The word Bāhubali alias Gommața has a magic effect on Karnataka and the artists. Gommața, Karņātaka and Jainism have become synonyms. In the Jaina tradition Bāhubali, second son of Rşabhadēva the first Ford Maker, and younger brother of Bharata, the first of 12 cakravarttins, is considered as the first of the 24 Kāmadēvas.
8.2.4.1. Earliest of the Bāhubali statues/sculptures was perhaps the image inside the Kāmajinālaya at Guddatatāka, a tank near the knoll, a suburb of Banavāsi, founded by Ravivarma (C. E. 458-519), to the left of his residence. Another Kāmajinālaya, along with a shrine of goddess Padmāvati yakṣī, was built by the same king at Hākinipalli, and were endowed with grants.
8.2.4.2. Second phase was the Bāhubali sculpture in the cave temples of Bādāmi and Aihole, both in Bijapur Dt, and of Early Cālukya age. A bas-relief sculpture of Bāhubali in the Bädāmi cave temple of last quarter of seventh century C.E., is 71/,' in height. The relief of Bāhubali in the Bādāmi cave represents him standing on a lotus in kāyātsarga posture with long hair combed back falling on shoulders and armpit. Snakes rising hoods from ant-hills, mādhavi-creeper entwinning Bahubali's hands. Two ladies, one each on either side, are paying their homage.
8.2.4.3. A big panel in the Aihoļe cave, of the same period, depicts Bāhubali in kāyātsarga khadgāsana, with a ovaloid sturdy face and most of other details being similar to Bādāmi cave relief, except that the two ladies look like deities wearing crowns and ornaments, and the upper relief panel contains trees and flying figures of Gandharvas paying homage to the omniscient Bāhubali (Nagarajaiah, Hampa : Jina Pārśva temples in Karņāțaka : 1999-d).
8.2.4.4. Next in temporal terms is a pretty metal image
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