| Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali Statue |
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| Shravanabelagola is one of the important jain pilgrim center and located in the Hassan district of Karnataka. "Bel" means white and "kola", the pond, an allusion to the beautiful pond in the middle of the town is the complete meaning of Shravanabelagola in Kannada language. Under the patronage of Gangas of Talakad the city of Shravanabelagola has reached a high point in architectural and sculptural activity. |
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| Chandragiri and Vindyagiri are two hills where shruta-kevali, Bhadrabahu Swami, and his pupil, Chandragupta Maurya meditated there. Chandragupta Basadi was originally built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC and which was dedicated to Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. A famous temple built by Chamundaraya, who was a disciple of Acharya Nemichandra Siddhanta-chakravarti is a beautiful temple on the hilltop. There is a pond and two stony hills, called Chandragiri and Indragiri. |
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A thousand-year-old 17.38 meter monolithic stone statue of the Bhagavan Gomateshwara Bahubali, considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue, built by Chamundaraya, a general of King Gangaraya is housed in the Vindhyagiri hill. Inscriptions in Kannada (dated 981 CE) and Tamil, Marathi, from 981 AD are seen at the base of the statue. The inscription praises the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chamundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother. The Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the devotees cover the thousand year old statue with milk, curds, ghee, saffron and gold coins is held every 12 years. In 2018 A.D. the next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held.
At Shravanabelagola, More than 800 inscriptions are found dating to various times from 600 to 1830 CE and major of these inscriptions is found in Chandragiri, the rest can be seen in the Indragiri and the town. Most of the inscriptions include texts in the Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Marathi, Marwari and Mahajani languages at the Chandragiri date to before the 10th century. Shravanabelagola abounds in inscriptions that are in various Halagannada (Old |
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| Kannada) and Purvahalagannada (Pre-Old Kannada) characters. The rise and growth in power of Gangas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Vijayanagar empire and Mysore Wodeyars are some of these inscriptions mention. The nature, growth and development of the Kannada language and its literature are easily understood by modern scholars with these inscriptions found here. |
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| Shravanabelegola is 158 km from Bangalore. |
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| Belgaum Fort |
| A major tourist attraction in Belgaum is the Belgaum fort. The fort has undergone many additions and renovations throughout its existence as Belgaum was ruled by a number of dynasties. Ratta Dynasty in the 13th century built the original mud and stone structure of the fort. Yakub Ali Khan of the Bijapur Sultanate who was responsible for transforming the fort into an invincible fortress. The rebuilt fort is surrounded by a deep moat, huge walls, bastions, battlements and parapets. Two shrines devoted to Ganapathi and Durga at the entrance exist in harmony with the two ancient mosques, the Safa Masjid and the Jamia Masjid. |
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| Kamala Basti |
| Built in the Late Chalukyan style the two Jain bastis are located inside the Belgaum Fort. The Kamala basti built in 1204 is famous. The Kamala Basti in its ceiling has a huge protruding lotus (Kamala) and the twenty-second Jain Teerthankara Neminatha is also housed in the basti. |
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| St. Mary's Church |
| St Mary's Church is one of the major landmarks in the town of Belgaum. The church is an imposing granite structure built in 1869 in the camp area and designed by Reverend Francis Gell. Inimitable craftsmanship is reflected in the fine pillars in the prayer hall and gorgeous stained glasses at its doors and windows. On the inner walls Biblical episodes are depicted in pleasant color combinations. The church attracts large number of devotees from far and near. |
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| Kapileshwar Temple |
| Kapileshwar Temple is the oldest temple in Belgaum District and dedicated to Lord Shiva. A popular attraction of this temple is the inscription on the Kamala Basadi, a Jain shrine within Belgaum fort. On a flat peetha the chief idol is worshipped in the form of shivling and the annual festival is held during Shivratri. One of the important temples of Belgaum district that enshrines an attractive idol of Bhagvan Shri Shanthinatha is the Khanapura Jain Temple. |
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| Maruti Temple |
| Maruti Temple is one of the beautiful temples situated in the north-western part of Karnataka, in Belgaum. The temple is believed to be of the Chalukyan era and is endowed with some antiquities of that time. The main idol is Maruthi (Lord Hanuman). Belgaum Airport, Belgaum Railway Station and Belgaum Central Bus Station are the nearest access points. |
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