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Hassan

The sacred lake in the center of Shravanabelagola is a pilgrimage site of the Jain religion. 180 kms from Bangalore is the District Headquarters, Hassan. This quiet and peaceful town is a convenient base to visit Shravanabelagora, Belur and Halebid. Hassan, offers a wide variety of accommodation. It is well connected by road and rail to Bangalore. Mysore and Mangalore.



Places of Interest

Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola in Hassan District is 157 km away from Bangalore is an important Jaina centre. There is a pond and two stony hills, called Chandragiri and Indragiri. Chandragiri has the Chandragupta basadi of the Gangas and the Parashwanatha basadi here is the biggest. The town below the hill has the Jaina matha whose walls have very old paintings. Indragiri has the Gommata monolith, 58' tall, installed by a Ganga general and scholar Chavundaraya, and also Siddhara basadi, Odegal basadi, Chennanna basadi and Chauvvisa Tirthankara basadi, and also the finely engraved pillar called Tyagada Brahma Pillar. The floral designs on it are excellent. To the north of town is Jinanathapura which has the Aregal basadi and the Shantinatha basadi of Hoysala times. Shravanabelagola has over 500 inscriptions, and some of them are recording death by starving (`sallekhana') by Jaina ascetics and laymen.

Belur
This quaint hamlet-38 kms from Hassan-is located on the banks of the river yagachi. It was once the capital of the Hoysala empire, today made unforgettable for its exquisite temples. The Chennakeshava Temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture. It took 103 years to complete and the reason is evident. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. Elephants... they are all there - awe-inspiring in their intricate workship. Inside are hand-lathe-turned filigreed pillars.

Halebedu
It is 27 kms north-west of Hassan and 17 kms east of Belur. The temples of Halebid - like those of Belur - bear mute testimony to the rich, cultural heritage of Karnataka. The hoysaleswara Temple, dating back to the 12th century, is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of gods and goddess, animals, birds and dancing girls. Yet no two facets of the temple are same. This magnificent temple - guarded by a Nandi Bull - was never completed, despite 86 years of Labour.

Festivals

The statue of Lord Bahubali at the Jain religious festival Mahamastakabhisheka, in the town of Shravanabelagola. Mahamastakabhisheka (sacred anointment) is a spectacular ceremony which is held once in 12 years, and is the focus for Jain pilgrims across India. The festivals? main attraction is the anointment of the Gomateshwara, a 60 foot tall monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali. Hundreds of pots containing curds, milk, honey, vermilion, coconut water, turmeric paste and even gold and precious jewels, are poured over the statue's head by priests, as the pilgrims stand underneath it. Normally a one day festival, the festival for 2006 will last 9 days. Devotees of Jainism, who are vegetarian pacifists, abstain from worldly goods to the point that many eschew clothing and live naked. Mahamastakabhisheka
The first head anointing (Mahamasthakabhishekha) ceremony of this century of Bhagawan (Lord) Sri Bahubali of Shravanabelagola will be celebrated in the month of February 2006. This historical event bears great testimony since the time of installation of the statue by Chavundaraya the commander in chief of Gangas of Talakadu on March 13, 981 A.D. This 57 feet monolithic statue is situated atop the Vindhyagiri hill. The ritual of Mahamasthakabhishekha is conducted only once in every 12 years from time immemorial. This event attracts the devotees, tourists and pilgrims in large number from different parts of the world.

The Mahamasthakabhishekha celebration is held as a symbol of world peace and coexistence. Lakhs of devotees of Bahubali, acharyas and eminents from all over the world will participate in this historic event. This religious event is famous as "Grand Festival of Shravanabelagola". On the day of the Mahamasthakabhishekha, the area in front of the statue presents a glorious sight. One hundred and eight "Kalashas" are arranged in a geometrical pattern. Each port has a coconut with mango leaves tied to it with a holy colored thread. These pots are used for anointing the monolith statue of Gomateswara.

How to Reach

By Air
Nearest airport is Bangalore, 185 km from the city of Hassan.

By Rail
Well connected by trains to all the major cities of India and to and from Bangalore.

By Road
Well linked by smooth roads to Mysore (115 km) and Bangalore.

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