________________
Ont.
THE JAINA ANTIQUARY.
"श्रीमत्परमगम्भीरस्याद्वादामोघलाञ्छनम् । जीयात् त्रैलोक्यनाथस्य शासनं जिनशासनम् ।।'
)
Vol. V, No. I'V
ARRAH (INDIA)
March. 1940.
THE MASTAKĀBHISHĒKA OF GOMMATĒŚVARA AT
ŚRAVAŅA BĒĻGOLA.
BY Dr. M. H. Krishna, M A., D. Lit. (Lond) Director of Archaeology Mysore State.
Śravana Belgola is situated in 12°51' north latitude and 76°29' east longitude, about 8 miles to the south of Chennarāyapatna in the Chennarāyapatņa Taluk of the Hāssan District of the Mysore State Buses run daily to Śravana-Belgola from Hässan and Mysore. The distance from Hāssan is 31 miles and the distance from Mysore is 62 miles. Both these roads to Śravana Belgola run through Chennarāyapatna and as the traveller passes this place, he observes a conspicuous hill, a few miles to the south, bearing on its summit what appears at first sight to be a column, but which on drawing nearer proves to be a colossal statue in the human form This striking and unusual object, the image of Gommātēsvara, which is visible for miles around marks the site of Śravana-Belgola, the chief seat of the Jainas in South India from very early times The village lies picturesquely between two rocky hills one larger than the other which stand up boldly from the plain and are covered with huge boulders “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."
