Jain Journal 1974 07

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 40

JULY, 1974
in Mysore State; it is about 100 miles from Bangalore. There are two celebrated hillocks in close vicinity, known as Vindhyagiri (or Indragiri) and Candragiri. The Gommata colossus stands on the former and is visible from all around within a radius of 15 miles. There are in all about 33 temples here, the oldest dating 3rd century B.C., associated with the Mauryan emperor Candragupta of Ujjain. Tradition has it that this emperor came down South in the entourage of the celebrated. Jaina ascetic Bhadrabahu Srutakevalin. He settled down in Sravana Belgola as Muni Bhadrabahu resolved to end his life there. On the Candragiri stands to this day a cave known to pilgrims as "BhadrabahuGuhe", where the Muni is said to have passed away. . Even the emperor Candragupta ended his life by 'Sallekhana' (the Jaina practice of fasting unto death). Since then the place is a Jaina sanctuary.
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Sravana Belgola, however, has achieved celebrity all over the world because of the remarkable colossus, Gommata. It was installed there at the instance of Camundaraya, as the inscription in loco testifies. The pious man is known to history as the able premier and general under Ganga ruler of Talakadu, who were devotees of Jainism. The king that saw the statue rise was Rajamalla (reign 974-984), who was so pleased with the peity of his minister that he bestowed on him the distinction of 'Raya' (king) and made him Governor of Southern Madhura (probably the modern Maddur). The inscriptions call Camundaraya the 'dvitiya-vibhavam' (second in glory) of Rajamalla, who was 'Gargākulacandra' (moon of the Ganga race). This general was a renowned scholar and a pious devotee, besides being an efficient administrator ; he was also the author to a couple of religious tracts both in Kannada and Sanskrit. His religious preceptors were the famous Jaina ascetics, Ajitasena and Nemicandra; the latter was the author of Prakrit Gommatasarapancasangraha which work probably fired the noble disciple with an enthusiasm for the installation of the colossus.
The story goes that when once this Camundaraya, with his mother and Ajitasena, was on a pilgrimage he camped at Sravana Belgola for the night. Ajitasena had related to the Raya and his mother the story of Bahubali and about the Paudanapura golden image of the great saint. Great was the desire of the royal mother to visit Paudanapura which was now in the midst of an impregnable forest. But here in Sravana Belgola Camundaraya dreamt of the gigantic statue of Bahubali and determined to satisfy the desire of his mother by erecting a similar statue right there on the Vindhyagiri hillock. Next morning he looked around and saw in a huge boulder of living rock the suggestion of Bahubali's image. He immediately sent for artisans and artists and sculptors and set them to work out his idea. Nearly twenty years must have elapsed