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Savanbelgola is the holiest pilgrimage containing
the relics of Lord Bahubali.
This is a pilgrimage upon which a status of one of the tallest statues of the world has been generally confered. Generally too, wherever there are statues of Lord Bahubali in India, their heights are considerably much. The statue of Bahubali situated at Shravanbelgola measures 57 feet. The special feature of this statue is that it has been carved out of a mountain. The stone of the mountain and the stone of the statue are both joined to each other, interconncected and inseparable. This hill is 595 metres higher from the foot-hill.
The Bahubali of Shravanbelgola is also called Gomateshwar. The word 'Gomat' is the synonym of summit. In view of the presence of the huge statue of Bahubali, it has become famous as Gomateshwar. The fame of this gigantic statue has spread to foreign countries. Thousands of foreign tourists come here to see this huge statue. Millions of pilgrims visit this place every year. Mahamastakabhishek (the greatly auspicious ceremony when the head of the statue is washed with milk and crowned with flowers etc.) of Gomateshwar Bahubali is performed after every twelve years. Participating in this 'abhishek' (annointing with milk) ceremony is believed to bring good luck and virtue. The late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had participated in this 'abhishek'. India has accepted this statue as the glory of its past and has also issued a commemorative postage stamp on it.
This statue of Lord Bahubali had been built in the 11th Vikram Century. According available references, the mother of Shree Chamund Rai, Chief of Raja Gangras was going to Podnapur in Samvat 1037 to have a glimpse of Bahubali. She took rest on the Chandragiri mountain opposite the Vindhyagiri mountain. It was here that some invisible power inspired her to instal a huge statue of Lord Bahubali on the Vindhyagiri temple. Shree Chamund Rai opened the chests of his treasury to fulfill the wish of his mother. It was an extremely painstaking task, but the hand of some super power was behind this construction too, as a result of which, the huge image took concrete shape. An interesting incident took place in the great consecration ceremony of this statue. The mixture of water, milk and sandal which was being poured over the statue's
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