Millions to commemorate kingly sacrifice --- by IANS

Shravanabelagola (Karnataka), January 16: Continuing a 12-yearly tradition that began more than 1,000 years ago, millions from the Jain community and other faiths will descend around a hilltop in southern India to worship a towering 18-metre monolithic statue of a victorious king who gave up his empire for spiritual pursuits.

The new millennium's first head-anointing ceremony called Mahamastaka Abhisheka of King Bahubali who became Lord Gomateshwara at the age of 24 will be performed atop Vindhyagiri hill here from Feb 8-19.

According to historical records, though Bahubali is not counted among the galaxy of 24 Jain 'teerthankaras' - enlightened spiritual heads - he is worshipped as Lord Gomateshwara for renouncing his vast kingdom at Poudanapura, now in Peshawar, Pakistan, to attain nirvana.

Legend has it that Bahubali, the second son of king Rishabhadev, inherited Poudanapura after his father renounced the material world to become the first 'teerthankara' while his elder brother Bharatha was gifted Ayodhya to rule.

Known as the tallest, bravest and the most handsome prince, Bahubali rose above violence and greed following a duel with his brother Bharatha.

Being ambitious and to attain the status of Chakravarthi, Bharatha set out to conquer all the kingdoms.

When Bahubali refused to accept the supremacy of Bharatha, battle lines were drawn and their armies pitted against each other.

But wiser counsel stalled the imminent war. The brothers agreed on a duel involving three forms - 'drishtiyudha' (eye-to-eye, without batting the lids), 'jalayudha' (battle in water) and 'mallayudha' (wrestling).

Though Bahubali emerged victorious finally, he was overwhelmed by the enormity and futility of the desire for material goods, a pursuit that set a brother against brother. He then renounced his kingdom and other worldly pursuits in quest of spiritual empire.

Shravanabelagola (Karnataka), January 16: Continuing a 12-yearly tradition that began more than 1,000 years ago, millions from the Jain community and other faiths will descend around a hilltop in southern India to worship a towering 18-metre monolithic statue of a victorious king who gave up his empire for spiritual pursuits.

When a repentant Bharatha appealed to Bahubali not to renounce the world, the latter did not heed and left the kingdom. In his honour, a devout Bharatha got an image of Bahubali made in gold and installed it at Poudanapura, which is near Takshahila in Sindh province.

The carving and consecration of the Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka is ascribed to Chavundaraya, commander-in-chief and prime minister of the Ganga king Rachamalla during the 10th century A.D.

According to an anecdotal story, Kalala Devi, mother of Chavundaraya, wished to have 'darshan' (vision) of the golden statue of Bahubali at Poudanapura. Seeing the intense spiritual fervour of his mother, Chavundaraya set out on a long pilgrimage to see the golden statue with his guru and happened to spend a night at Shravanabelagola en route to Poudanapura.

The story goes that in a dream, goddess Kushmandini Yakshi ordered Chavundaraya to erect a statue. As directed, when day broke, the commander shot his golden arrow from atop the Chandragiri hill to the top of the Vindhyagiri hill.

With the prophecy coming true, the image of Bahubali appeared. Immediately, Chavundaraya entrusted the task of chiselling the statue out of the granite rock to the most skilful sculptors of the land under the guidance of Arishtanemi.

In the following years, when Chavundaraya set out to perform the head-anointing ceremony (mahamastaka abhisheka), the anointing liquids consisting of coconut water, milk and five nectars would not descend down the navel of the monolithic structure. His pride of achieving the feat and arrogance were said to have been the cause.

Moved by the plight of Chavundaraya, an elderly woman, Gullikayajji, offered to pour a little milk from the shell of a native white fruit (gullikai). Although many scoffed at her, Chavunaraya allowed her to do so, on the advice of Acharya Nemichand.

As the humble devotee of Bahubali poured the milk with the shell, the white liquid instantly ran down the statue, reaching the feet and covering the hill around. A chastened Chavundaraya then mandated that the head-anointing ceremony of Bahubali be performed every 12 years.
Incidentally, the grand ceremony in 1981 coincided with the 1,000 years of the consecration of the statue. The last ceremony of the first millennium was held in 1993.