BahubaliBahubali (One With Strong Arms), a much revered figure among Jains, was the son of Rishabadeva (the first tirthankara of Jainism) and the brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for a 12 years in a standing posture (kayotsarga) and that during this time, climbing plants grew around his legs. After his 12 year of meditation, Bahubali is said to have attained omniscience (Kevala Gyana). Bahubali's other names are Kammateswara, Gommateshwara because of the Gommateshwara statue dedicated to him.
Gommateshwara statueThe Gommateshwara statue is a high monolithic statue on Vindhyagiri Hill in the town of Shravanbelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Carved of a single block of granite, it is one of the tallest monolithic statues in the ancient world. The Gommateshwara statue is dedicated to the Jain figure Bahubali and symbolises the Jain precepts of peace, non-violence, sacrifice of worldly affairs, and simple living. It was built around 983 CE during the Western Ganga dynasty and is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world.
ShravanabelagolaShravanabelagola () is a town located near Channarayapatna of Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is from Bengaluru. The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important tirthas (pilgrimage destinations) in Jainism, one that reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad. Chandragupta Maurya is said to have died here in 298 BCE after he became a Jain monk and assumed an ascetic life style.
BawangajaBawangaja (meaning 52 yards) is a famous Jain pilgrim center in the Barwani district of southwestern Madhya Pradesh in India. Located about 6 kilometers south of River Narmada, its main attraction is the world's second largest megalithic statue (carved out of the mountain) of Lord Rishabhadeva (largest being the Statue of Ahimsa), the first Jain Tirthankara. The statue is high. The center is located in the Satpura Range and is about 8 km from a Barwani town.
SandalwoodSandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sandalwood is often cited as one of the most expensive woods in the world. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, some species of these slow-growing trees have suffered over-harvesting in the past.
RishabhanathaRishabhanatha (Devanagari: ऋषभनाथ), also (Devanagari: ऋषभदेव), Rishabhadeva, or Ikshvaku (Devanagari: इक्ष्वाकु) is the first Tīrthaṅkara (Supreme preacher) of Jainism and establisher of Ikshvaku dynasty. He was the first of twenty-four teachers in the present half-cycle of time in Jain cosmology, and called a "ford maker" because his teachings helped one cross the sea of interminable rebirths and deaths. The legends depict him as having lived millions of years ago.