The culture of India is one of the oldest and unique. In India, there is amazing cultural diversity throughout the country. The South, North, and Northeast have their own distinct cultures and almost every state has carved out its own cultural niche. There is hardly any culture in the world that is as varied and unique as India. India is a vast country, having variety of geographical features and climatic conditions. India is home to some of the most ancient civilizations, including four major world religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Statue of Gomateshwara

Location: Hassan district
Significance: Monolithic statue of Jain saint Lord Gomateshwara, Mahamastakabhisheka festival
How to Reach: Connected by road and rail to district headquarters Hassan, 52 km away.

Statue of Gomateshwara
The colossal monolithic statue of Gomateswara is situated at Sravanbelgola, 158 km away from Bangalore. This gigantic statue of lord Gomateswara, the Jain saint, is carved out of a single block of granite and stands majestically on top of a hill. For centuries, Sravanabelagola has remained a great Jain center and thousands of pilgrims flock to see the magnificent, gigantic statue of the Jain saint, Lord Gomateswara. The statue of Gomateswara shows the recluse completely nude, in the Jain custom. This statue of lord Gomateswara is 17m. (55 ft) high and is visible from a distance of 30km.

Statue of Gomateshwara
This statue is regarded as one of the largest monolithic statues in the world. This statue of lord Gomateshwara was created around 983 AD by Chamundraya, a minister of the Ganga King, Rajamalla. The neighboring areas have Jaina bastis and several images of the Jaina Thirthankaras. One can have a beautiful view of the surrounding areas from the top of the hill. At Sravanbelgola the Mahamastakabhishekam festival is held once in 12 years, when the image of Gomateswara is bathed in milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins.
Posted by Surya Mishra at
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