Sravana Belgola
This article has been extracted from THE IMPERIAL GAZETTEER OF INDIA , 1908. OXFORD, AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. |
Note: National, provincial and district boundaries have changed considerably since 1908. Typically, old states, ‘divisions’ and districts have been broken into smaller units, and many tahsils upgraded to districts. Some units have since been renamed. Therefore, this article is being posted mainly for its historical value.
Sravana Belgola
Village in the Channarayapatna taluk of Hassan District, Mysore, situated in 12° 51' N. and 76° 29' E., 8 miles south-east of Channarayapatna. Population (1901), 1,926. This is the chief seat of the Jain sect in Southern India, being the residence of the principal guru. At the top of Vindhyabetta or Indrabetta, 400 feet above the village, stands the colossal statue of Gomata, 57 feet high, surrounded by numerous sacred buildings. On Chandrabetta there are also many temples, and between the two hills a splendid tank (belgola). According to the tradition of the Jains, Bhadrabahu, one of the Srutakevali, as the immediate successors of the personal dis- ciples of Vardhamana or Mahavira are called, died here in a cave on Chandrabetta, while leading a migration to the South from Ujjain, to escape a twelve years' famine which he had predicted. He is said to have been accompanied as his chief attendant by the Maurya emperor, Chandra Gupta, who had abdicated the throne and, in accordance with Jain rules, adopted the life of a hermit. These events are borne out by rock inscriptions of great antiquity, though without a date. The grandson of Chandra Gupta, it is said, paid a visit to the spot, and the present town arose out of his encampment. The oldest bast'i on the hill is one dedicated to Chandra Gupta. Its fagade is sculptured with ninety scenes from the lives of Bhadrabahu and Chandra Gupta; but these are more modern, dating perhaps from early in the twelfth century. The gigantic statue was erected, accord- ing to inscriptions at its foot in Nagari, Old Kanarese, Grantha, and Vatteluttu characters, and in the Marathi, Kanarese, and Tamil languages, by Chamunda Raya. He was minister and general to the Ganga king Rachamalla, and the date of the statue is probably 983. The name of the sculptor may have been Aritto Nemi. The surround- ing enclosures were erected, as stated at the foot of the statue, by Ganga Raja, general of the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, their date being 1116. The image is nude and stands erect, facing the north, being visible for many miles round the country. The face is a remark- able one, with a serene expression ; the hair is curled in short spiral ringlets all over the head, while the ears are long and large. The figure is treated conventionally, the shoulders being very broad, the arms hanging straight down the sides, with the thumbs turned out- wards. The waist is small. From the knee downwards the legs are somewhat dwarfed. The feet are placed on the figure of a lotus. Representations of ant-hills rise on either side, with figures of a creep- ing plant springing from them, which twines over the thighs and arms. These symbolize the complete spiritual abstraction of a yati, absorbed and motionless during his long period of penance. Though by no means elegant, the image is not wanting in majestic and impressive grandeur. ' Nothing grander or more imposing,' says Mr. Fergusson, 'exists anywhere out of Egypt, and even there no known statue sur- passes it in height.' It was probably cut out of a rock which projected high above the hill, or the top of the hill itself may have been cut away. The figure has no support above the thighs. The Jain estab- lishment was maintained by successive dynasties, until, in common with others, it was shorn of many of its privileges and emoluments by Tipu Sultan, and is now in a reduced condition. Brass vessels are made in the place, and there is some local trade. The municipality formed in 1893 became a Union in 1904. The receipts and expendi- ture during the eight years ending 1901 averaged Rs. 470 and Rs. 360. In 1903-4 they were Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,400.
