Shravanabelagola

Rising amidst the relatively flat terrain of Hassan district is the Vindhyagiri hill atop where stands the 58-ft monolithic statue of Gomateshwara of Bahubali—the first Jain Tirthankara to have attained salvation. Located about 85 km to the North of Mysore, the statue is more than a 1000 years old and is a famous centre of pilgrimage for Jains. A flight of more than 600 steps chiseled into the rocky hill takes one to the temple on the peak. It is considered to be among the largest monolithic statues in the world and is made from grey granite. The biggest event here is the Mahamastakabhisheka, an anointing festival that is held once every 12 years. Lakhs of devotees gather for the event when the statue is bathed in milk, curd, honey and turmeric water, and smeared with sandalwood and turmeric paste. There are many other ancient structures on the hill as well as Jain basadis in the area.