Mahamastakabhisheka
Mahamastakabhisheka | |
---|---|
Jain calendar | |
Frequency | every 12 years |
The Mahamastakabhisheka ("Grand Consecration") refers to the
The festival is held in veneration of a 17.4-metre (57 ft) high monolithic statue of the
Anointment of the Gommateshwara Bahubali image
Bahubali, the son of Rishabhanatha, the first of the twenty-four Jain Tirthankaras, is worshipped for living with exceptional qualities that he displayed during all stages of his life from conception, birth, renunciation, enlightenment and salvation. This 58.8 feet tall statue is the most magnificent among all Jain works of art. It was built in circa 983.[3] The Bahubali statue is described as one of the mightiest achievements of ancient Karnataka in the realm of sculptural art. The statue stands upright in the posture of meditation known as kayotsarga, reaching a height of nearly 57 feet atop the Vindhyagiri Hills - accessible through a flight of 700 steps.[4]
Procedure
Purified water and sandalwood paste is poured over the statue from a scaffolding. This event continues for weeks. As the Mahamastakabhisheka begins, consecrated water is sprinkled onto the participants by devotees carrying 1,008 specially prepared vessels (kalashas). The statue is then bathed and anointed with libations such as milk, sugarcane juice, and saffron paste, and sprinkled with powders of sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion.[5] Offerings are made of petals, gold and silver coins, and precious stones. Most recently, the ceremony's finale has included an enormous shower of flowers from a waiting helicopter.[6]
Other Mahamastakabhishekas
Apart from the anointment of the
- Dharmasthala Mahamastakabhisheka[citation needed]
- better source needed]
- better source needed]
- Kumbhoj Mahamastakabhisheka - The last Mahamastakabhisheka was held in 2015, and the next will be in 2027.[citation needed]
See also
- Jain rituals and festivals
- Panch Kalyanaka
- Jainism in Karnataka
References
Citations
- ^ Correspondent, TNN (8 February 2006). "Mahamastakabhisheka of Bahubali begins today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
- ^ Staff Reporter (13 October 2016), "Dates for Mahamastabhisheka at Shravanabelagola announced", The Hindu, retrieved 26 February 2018
- ^ Zimmer 1953, p. 212.
- ^ Muni Kshamāsāgara 2006, p. 49.
- ISBN 9788171821853
- ^ Sangave, p. 106.
- ^ Drivedi, Rakesh Narayan. राही मासूम रज़ा और उनके औपन्याससक पात्र. p. 65.
- ^ "Karkala Mahamastakabhisheka 2014".
- ^ "Venur Mahamastakabhisheka 2012". Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
Sources
- ISBN 978-81-208-1578-0
- ISBN 978-81-208-0739-6.
- Rice, Lewis (1985). Naga Varmma's Karnataka Bhasha Bhushana. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 9788120600621.
- Rice, B. L. (2001), Gazetteer of Mysore, Asian Educational Services, ISBN 9788120609778
- Sangave, Vilas Adinath (1981), The Sacred Sravana-Belagola, Bhartiya Jnanpith Prakash, retrieved 16 November 2017
- Kshamāsāgara, Muni (2006), In quest of the self, Bhartiya Jnanpith, ISBN 9788126311668, retrieved 16 November 2017