Gommateshwara statue
Gommateshwara (Bahubali) | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Jainism |
Deity | Bahubali |
Location | |
Location | Shravanbelagola, Hassan district, Karnataka, India |
Geographic coordinates | 12°51′14″N 76°29′05″E / 12.854026°N 76.484677°E |
The Gommateshwara statue is a 57-foot (17 m) high
statues in the ancient world.The Gommateshwara statue is dedicated to the
A Jain event known as
In 2007, the statue was voted the first of Seven Wonders of India in a
Iconography
The statue depicts the prolonged meditation of Bahubali. The motionless contemplation in kayotsarga (standing still) posture led to the growth of climbing vines around his legs.[7] The nagna (nude) image of Gommateshwara has curly hair ringlets and large ears. The eyes are half open, sight rested on nose showcasing his detachment to look on the world. His facial features are perfectly chiseled with a faint touch of a smile at the corner of the lips that embodies a calm inner peace and vitality. His shoulders are broad, the arms stretch straight down and the figure has no support from the thigh upwards.
There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance. From this anthill, emerge a snake and a creeper which twine around both the legs and arms culminating as a cluster of flowers and berries at the upper portion of the arms. The entire figure stands on an open lotus signifying the totality attained in installing this unique statue. On either side of Gommateshwara stand two
– in the service of the Lord. These richly ornamented and beautifully carved figures complement the main figure. Carved on the rear side of the anthill is also a trough for collecting water and other ritual ingredients used for the sacred bath of the statue.In the introduction to his English translation of the Gommatsāra, J. L. Jaini writes:
The grandeur of the Image, as also its serene-looking and peace-inspiring presence, are well-known to all Jainas and non-Jainas who have the good fortune of visiting it. When I visited the sacred place in 1910, I met some English men and women missionaries, who out of respect for the Holy Image took off their shoes and visited it on their bare feet. They also held the opinion which I have given above. The Image is about 57 feet high; even so, every limb and minor limb thereof is in exquisite proportion. It is impossible to convey its glory and artistic excellence by words. Anyone who has a chance to see it personally will easily agree with the hitherto general opinion. This gives an answer to some critics also who call the Jainas idolatrous. The Jainas do not worship the stone, silver, gold or diamond of which the Images are made. They worship the qualities of total renunciation of the world, the acquisition of undisturbable Harmony with the Infinite, and the identity of the liberated soul with peace everlasting, which these images represent.[8]
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Head and torso
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Feet with a worshipper
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Side View
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Back view
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Perspective with yakshini
Mahamastakabhisheka
Legend
According to legend, after completing construction of Gommateshwara statue,
See also
Notes
- ^ a b Zimmer 1953, p. 212.
- ^ "108-Ft Tall Jain Teerthankar Idol Enters 'Guinness Records'". NDTV.com. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
- ^ Official website Hassan District
- ^ "Mahamastakabhisheka to be held in February 2018". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
- ^ "And India's 7 wonders are..." The Times of India. 5 August 2007.
- ^ "Adarsh Smarak Monument". Archaeological Survey of India. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- Allahabad: K. Mitra, Indian Press. p. 145.
- ^ Jaini 1927, p. 7-8.
- ^ "Bahubali Mahamastakabhisheka Mahotsav: Here is the history of the Jain festival PM Modi attended today", The Indian Express, 19 February 2018
- ^ Deccan Chronicle & 2018 Mahamastakabhisheka.
References
- Jaini, Jagmandar-lāl (1927). Gommatsara Jiva-kanda. Alt URL
- Rice, B. Lewis (1889). Inscriptions at Sravana Belgola: a chief seat of the Jains, (Archaeological Survey of Mysore). Bangalore : Mysore Govt. Central Press.
- ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6.
- "2018 Mahamastakabhisheka: Bahubali – 1,000 year legend towers on". Deccan Chronicle. 16 February 2018.