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.
Odegal basadiOdegal basadi or Vadegal basadi is the largest basadi located on the Vindhyagiri Hill in Shravanabelagola in the Indian state of Karnataka. Odegal basadi is a granite temple built in 14th century and is the largest temple on the Vindhyagiri Hill. The temple derives its name from 'Odega', i.e., soapstone used for strengthening the walls of the temple. The temple has three cells facing different directions, giving the name Trirukta Basadi or trikuta Basadi. The temple has splended structure with non-ornate exterior.
ChavundarayaChavundraya or Chamundaraya (Kannada Cāmuṇḍarāya, Cāvuṇḍarāya, 940–989) was an Indian Jain ruler. He served in the court of the Western Ganga dynasty of Talakad (in modern Karnataka, India). A person of many talents, in 982 he commissioned the construction of the monolithic statue of Bahubali, the Gomateshwara, at Shravanabelagola, an important place of pilgrimage for Jainism. He was a devotee of the Jain Acharya Nemichandra and Ajitasena Bhattaraka and was an influential person during the reigns of Marasimha II Satyavakya, (963–975).
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.
Hassan districtHassan is one of the 31 districts of Karnataka, India. The district headquarter is Hassan. It was carved out from Mysore district in the year 1866, during the Commissioner's Rule of Mysore (1831-81). Hassan District contains 8 taluks with their respective headquarters in Hassan, Arsikere, Channarayapatna, Belur, Holenarasipura, Sakleshpur, Alur and Arkalgud. Current Member of Parliament from Hassan is Prajwal Revanna who is also one of the youngest Lok Sabha members and is grandson of former Prime Minister of India H.
Maurya EmpireThe Maurya Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in South Asia based in Magadha. Founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, it existed in loose-knit fashion until 185 BCE. The empire was centralized by the conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain; its capital city was located at Pataliputra (modern Patna). Outside this imperial centre, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities scattered within it. During Ashoka's rule (ca.
