Mysore Gommatagiri Gommateshwara
Mysuru district, Karnataka
Gommatagiri is about 20 km from Mysore.Gommatagiri is situated in Bilikere hobli of Hunsur taluk in Mysore district in Karnataka state, India.
Gommatagiri is an acclaimed Jain centre. The 700-year-old statue of Bahubali (also known as Gomateshwara) is erected atop a 50 meter tall hillock called 'Shravana Gudda'. The statue of Gomateshwara at Gommatagiri is an early Vijayanagara creation in granite. It has serene facial expressions and curly hairs. This Jain centre attracts many pilgrims during the annual "Maha masthakabhisekha" in September. The local Jains have a belief that the entire region was a bastion of Jainism at least since the 2nd Century BC.
The 20 feet statue at Gommatagiri is very similar to Gommateshwara statue in Shravanabelagola (58 feet) except that it is dwarfed in size. Historians attribute the statue to an early Vijayanagar period.
| If the 100-acre barren land around the hillock was handed over to the committee, the Jain pilgrim centre could be developed as a big Jain centre, as Jain personalities and NRIs are ready to fund the projects, he said. |
The granite statue stands on the hillock having about 80 rock cut steps. It is visible from a distance. From atop the hillock, the backwaters of Krishnarajasagar reservoir provide an enchanting view. At the bottom, near the foothill, are located the 'Padakoota' of Neminatha, the 24th Jain Theerthankara, Kailasagiri and Jina Mandira. There are a number of Jain Basadis near the hillock. |
Gommatagiri is a Jain pilgrimage center located close to Mysore (24km). The main attraction of Gommatagiri is the 20 feet or so tall Gomateshwara ( hence the name Gommatagiri ). This ancient monolithic statue stands over a massive hillock.
Though a lot shorter in size compared to the massive and much popular Bahubali statues at Shravanabelagola, the resemblances of the two are pleasantly surprising. Similar to Shravanabelagola, you need to climb a series of steps carved on this massive granite boulder to reach the shrine atop. The statue stands inside the compound wall over the hilltop.
The festival season draws a large number of Jain devotes to this place. The annual "Maha Mastakabhisheka" in September is the main attraction among the pilgrims. Baring the busyness of the festivals, this place is unusually calm and the ambiance is surreal, like the location of any major Jain Basadis. It is so empty that yours would be the only other family present at the shrine. You can ask locally about the opening time if the gate to the compound is closed. The priest lives nearby, you can check it out.
ಶ್ರೀಕ್ಷೇತ್ರ ಗೊಮ್ಮಟಗಿರಿಯ ಬಾಹುಬಲಿ
ಹುಣಸೂರಿನಿಂದ 25 ಕಿ.ಮೀಟರ್ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಶ್ರೀಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ನೂರು ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ಕೃಷ್ಣವರ್ಣದ ಏಕಶಿಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ 16 ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಸುಂದರ ಬಾಹುಬಲಿ ಮೂರ್ತಿ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠಾಪಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಬೆಟ್ಟವೇರಲು 80 ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲುಗಳೂ ಇವೆ.
ದೂರದಿಂದ ನೋಡಿದರೆ ರಥದಂತೆ ಗೋಚರಿಸುವ ಈ ಬೆಟ್ಟ, ಬೆಟ್ಟದೂರು ಎಂದೂ ಕರೆಸಿಕೊಂಡಿದೆ. 16 ಅಡಿ ಎತ್ತರದ ಬಾಹುಬಲಿ ಮೂರ್ತಿಯ ಬಲಪಾರ್ಶ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಅಂದರೆ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಕೆಳಗೆ 24ನೇ ತೀರ್ಥಂಕರ ನೇಮಿನಾಥರ ಪಾದಕೂಟವೂ ಇದೆ. ಇದರ ಮಗ್ಗುಲಲ್ಲೇ ಕೈಲಾಸಗಿರಿ, ಜಿನಮಂದಿರಗಳೂ ಇವೆ.
ಮೈಸೂರಿಗೆ ಕೇವಲ 20 ಕಿ.ಮೀಟರ್ ದೂರದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಈ ಸುಂದರ ಹಾಗೂ ರಮಣೀಯ ಬೆಟ್ಟದ ಮೇಲೆ ನಿಂತು ಸುತ್ತಲ ಪರಿಸರದತ್ತ ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಕಣ್ಣು ಹಾಯಿಸಿದರೆ ಸಿಗುವ ಆನಂದ ವರ್ಣನಾತೀತ. ಕೃಷ್ಣರಾಜ ಸಾಗರ ಜಲಾಶಯವೂ ಬೆಟ್ಟದಿಂದ ಸುಂದರವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ.
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