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BEĻGOĻA AND BAHUBALI.
BY Prof. A. N. Upadhye, M.A., D. Litt.
In the mediaeval history of Jainism in the South, Śravana Beļgola has been a place of great cultural importance. The greatness of Belgoļa lies in the fact that it possesses certain features of lasting value: traditionally the place is associated with Bhadrabahu and Candragupta Maurya, and the historical value of this tradition is now accepted by the standard authorities; it possesses a large number of Inscriptions which are important from the historical, linguistic and literary points of view; there is a Matha the spiritual heads of which have guided the social and moral destiny of the Jaina community in Karnāțaka and round about for centuries together; there are beautiful temples and treasures of old MSS. of which any holy place would be proud; and last but not the least there is the grand image of Bahubali on the top of the prominent hill there. For these and other reasons Belgola is not only a holy place for the Jainas but also a place of cultural and historical importance to the students of South Indian History,
In the Hassan District of the Mysore State, just near Channarayapattan, Belgoļa is very attractively situated near a nicely built square lake in a valley between two hills: Vindhyagiri and Candragiri. The name of the place is probably derived from Bel (meaning, white) gol (meaning, pond) referring to the splendid square lake which is mentioned in the local inscriptions as Dhavala or Sveta Sarovara. Workman rightly said: 'In the whole beautiful state of Mysore it would be hard to find a spot where the historic and the picturesque clasp hands so firmly as here'. The name Vindhyagiri the migrating people must have brought with them from the North ; while the name Candragiri appears to have been suggested by the fact that Candragupta Maurya, who came to the South with Bhadrabāhu, as a tradition of much authenticity and sufficient antiquity tells us, breathed his last on this hill. Candragiri is alsos
