Gomateshwara is a monolithic statue standing at 60 feet above a hill in a place called Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state, India. The statue was built by the Ganga minister and commander Chamundaraya in honour of Lord Bahubali. It was built in the 10th century AD and is the size Jains believe humans used to be. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, devotees and tourists from all over the world flock to the statue once in 12 years for an event known as Mahamastakabhisheka. On August 5, 2007, the statue was voted by Indians as the first of Seven Wonders of India, by 49% of the voters.
The colossal monolithic statue of Gomateshwara is situated at Shravanabelagola, 158 km away from Bangalore. This gigantic statue of lord Gomateshwara, the Jain saint, is carved out of a single block of granite and stands majestically on top of a hill. For centuries, Shravanabelagola has remained a great Jain center and thousands of pilgrims flock to see the magnificent, gigantic statue of the Jain saint, Lord Gomateshwara. The statue of Gomateshwara shows the recluse completely nude, in the Jain custom. This statue of lord Gomateshwara is 17m. (55 ft) high and is visible from a distance of 30km.
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 Chamundaraya, a minister of the Ganga King, Rachamalla (Raachmalla SathyaVaak IV 975-986 AD).
"Feb 8, 2006: The millennium's first mahamastakabisheka, the head anointing ceremony of Lord Bahubali, a revered Jain icon, began today amidst chanting of prayers and Jain monks taking part in bathing the world's tallest free standing statue with a steady stream of holy water and milk. . . .
As the bugle and trumpets sounded, marking the grand ritual, thousands of devotees raised their eyes skywards to have a look at the anointing of the gigantic statue, erected in 981 AD to commemorate Lord Bahubali's supreme sacrifice of renouncing the throne in pursuit of eternal bliss and liberation."
India - Trumpets and Cymbals
[Traditional Hindu musicians celebrate a Shiva festival in the port city of Kochi, South India. Caparisoned elephants with solid gold face plates symbolize the Hindu god Ganesh.]
[7991 Guido / 7981 Indian Trumpets / 7970 Goliards]