________________
142
THE JAINA GAZETTE
The Mahotsava or the festival began on the 27th February and terminated on the 15th March with the grand Mahamastakabisheka of the colossal and majestic image of Sri Gommatesvara. Between those two dates there were various festivals including a Pancha Kalyana puja. As days passed on the influx of pilgrims increased gradually until at last towards the middle of March large crowds began to pour into the precincts of Sravana Belgola. Jains from all parts of India from Calcutta and Karachi, from Kanchi and Kashmir, from Belgaum and Benares, from Bombay and Patna, from Madras and Meerut, from Akola and Allahabad, from Lahore and Lalitpur, froin Delhi and Dacca, from Puri and Peshawar, from North and South, from East and West and from far and near, Jains speaking various vernaculars, Jains of all shades of opinion and of all professions, both rich and poor, young and old, literate and illiterate, and sadhus and sravakas mustered strong to pay reverential homage to Sri Gommatesvara and to enjoy the grand and sacred sight of Mastakabhishekam. To add to the importance of the occasion, it was announced that an All-India Jain Conference would be held under the distinguished presidency of no less a personage than His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore (see plate 2). Thus the occasion attracted unprecedented numbers of the Jains and the erstwhile village of Sravana Belgola got itself metamorphosed into a typical Indian City by the middle of March 1925. The village was packed to its utmost capacity, every inch of space getting occupied. The puja committee had made elaborate arrangements for the convenience of the pilgrims and had erected a large number of sheds and tents which were also all fully engaged. His Highness the Maharaja of Mysore very graciously camped at Sravana Belgola itself for 3 days (see plate 3). All kinds of bazaars and tamashas and a circus added to the bustle of the place. With the beloved ruler of the State in the midst and with thousands of pilgrims and hundereds of shops, Sravana Belgola could very favourably be compared with any of the average capital cities of Native States in India.
THE TIRTHA KSHETRA COMMITTEE MEETING. The Annual meeting of the Bharat Varshiya Dingambar Jain Tirtha Kshetra Committee was held on the 13th of March in the Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
www.umaragyanbhandar.com
