India 20120807 de Mysore a Hassan pasant per Shravanabelagola

Ruta entre Mysore i Hassan passant per la visita Jai Gommateshwara. La ruta es en vehicle però la pujada al temple es caminant Shravanabelagola (Kannada: ಶ್ರವಣಬೆಳಗೊಳ Śravaṇa Beḷagoḷa) is a city located in the Hassan district in the Indian state of Karnataka and is 158 km from Bangalore. The statue of Gommateshvara Bahubali at Śravaṇa Beḷgoḷa is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Jainism, one that reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of Western Ganga Dynasty of Talakad. Chandragupta is said to have died here in 298 BC after he became a monk and assumed an ascetic life style. http://wikitravel.org/en/Mysore http://wikitravel.org/en/Hassan http://wikitravel.org/en/Shravanabelagola Vindhyagiri The hill is about 470 feet above the ground and is one solid rock. It must be climbed barefoot. Most tourists use the 'main steps' from the town consisting of a dual flights of about 660 steps to the top, cutout in the rock. People of all ages climb these steps however they are steep and it cam be a hard climb. As you go higher, you tend to get tired. In summer the rock can get hot, so you may wish to carry two pairs of socks per person to be worn one on another so that you can walk and climb comfortably. In the monsoon this is not a problem. There are two sets of steps at this main stairway: one set to go up, and one set to come down. The climb is very steep so please be careful, elders are advised not to venture unless they are fit enough to climb. Old people who cannot climb or If you have a history of cardiac disease/blood pressure don’t attempt to climb it by foot, use the palanquin service available down hill. Palanquin bearers, carry you up on a chair for Rs. 150 (one way). Old people use this service. It will take about 2 hours to finish darshan and get come back downhill. The second, equally good but much less used set of stairs are on the western side of the hill (ie: if facing the main stairs, turn right and walk around the hill 1/4 of the way, until you see the second set of stairs). These are recommended if you would like to enjoy the scenery in peace and don't want to be surrounded by yelling tourists. Another option is to circumambulate the hill prior to climbing, if you do this then the suggested direction is clockwise. It is easy to find the road and impossible to get lost. The 17.38 meter (58 ft) high monolithic stone statue of the Lord Gommateshwara, also referred to as Bahubali is located above this hill which is called Vindhyagiri or Doddabetta or Indragiri hill. It is estimated to weigh approximately 80 tons. The stone statue was installed and consecrated by Chavundaraya, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief who served under the successive rulers- King Marasimha II, Rachamalla IV and Rachamalla V of the Talakad Ganga Kingdom in 981 A.D. The base of the statue has inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating back to 981 AD. The inscription praises the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chavundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother. Bahubali This statue is considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue. It is carved beautifully from a single block of rock with accurate sense proportion and expression. Gommata has curly really nice hair in ringlets on the head and long, large ears. His eyes are open as if viewing the world with detachment. His facial features are perfectly chiseled with a faint touch of a smile at the corner of his lips and embody calm vitality. His shoulders are broad, his arms stretch straight down and the figure has no support from the thigh upwards. There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance. From this anthill emerge a snake and creepers which twine around both his legs and his arms culminating as a cluster of flowers and berries at the upper portion of the arms. The creepers encircling the arms and legs are artistic and beautiful. The nude north facing, stand upright stone sculpture of Bahubali (Lord Gommateshwara) in the posture of meditation known as Kayotsarga, symbolizing renunciation, self-control and subjugation of ego as the first steps towards salvation. The digambara (nude) form of Bahubali represents the complete victory over earthly desires and needs that hamper spiritual ascent towards divinity. The entire figure stands on an open lotus signifying the totality attained in installing this unique statue. The statue is simple, stylish and splendid. In the opinion of Ferguson "Nothing grander or more imposing exists anywhere out of Egypt and even there no known statue surpasses its height". On either side of Gommata stand two tall and majestic chauri bearers in the service of the Lord. One of them is a yaksha and the other one is a yakshi. Yakshi- majestic chauri bearer These richly ornamented and beautifully carved figures complement the main figure. Carved on the rear side of the anthill is also a trough for collecting water and other ritual ingredients used for the sacred bath of the image. Around the statue is an enclosure of a pillared hall where one can find 43 images of Thirthankaras in different cloisters. There is also a figure of a woman called Gullakayajji sculpted with a good built and wearing exquisite ornamentation, typical of the sculptures of the Ganga period. There is also the Brahmadevaru temple atop the hill. Besides these there are the Odegal Basadi, Chowwisa Thirthankara Basadi, Chennana Basadi, Tyagada Brahmadevaru Kambha, Akhanda Bagilu and Gullakayajji.