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took place during the reign of Rajamalla, the statue must have been erected between these two dates. But a Kannada work, popularly known as Cámundarāya-purāna composed in 978 A.D. by Camunda Raya does not mention the erection of the statue in the long account it gives of the author's achievements. It is therefore reasonable to conclude that the image was set up after 978 A.D. In the absence of more precise information the date of completion of the colossus may be taken as 983 A.D. The traditional date of the consecration of Gommata by Camunda Raya, given in several literary works however is Sunday, the fifth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Caitra of the cyclic year Vibhava, corresponding to the year 600 of the Kali or Kalki era, which might correspond to 1028 A.D.
The colossal image of Gommatesvara standing erect on the summit of the larger hill is nude and faces north. The shoulders of the image are very broad and the arms hang straight down the sides with the thumbs turned outwards. The waist is small. From the knee downwards, the legs are rather short and thick. The figure has no support above the thighs. Up to that point it is represented as surrounded by ant-hills from which emerge serpents and a climbing plant (mādhavi) twines itself round both the legs and arms terminating at upper part of the arm in a cluster of berries or flowers. The pedestal is designed to represent an open lotus. The image is carved in fine-grained light-grey granite. It looks as bright and clean as if it had just come from the chisel of the artist. It is probable that this image was cut out of a great tor which stood on the spot as it would have been an impossible task to transport
granite mass of such huge size up the oval hill-side. The statue of Gommata is more impressive both on account of its position and size than the statues of Rameses in Egypt and is bigger than any other monolithic statue in the world. Two more colossal images of Gommata are known to exist, one at Karkala and the other at Enur, both in the South Canara District. The image at Karkala, erected by Virapandya in 1432 A.D., is 41 feet 5 inches high. While that at Enur erected by Timmaraja of the family of Camunda at the instance of Carukirtti Pandita of Belgola in 1604 A.D. is 35 feet high. These two images are identical with the Sravana Belgola statue in the way in which they are represented, but differ considerably in the delineation of the features. At Sravana-gutta near Ilivala, Mysore taluk, is another statue of Gommata, about, 20 feet high on the top of a small rocky eminence. A creeper twines round the thighs and arms as in other images while a cobra with expanded hood forms a support for each hand. It is not known when or by whom this statue was erected. The Sravana Belgola image is not only the most ancient in date but also the largest and the most beautiful of all.
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