Shravanabelagola

We leave Bangalore at 6:30 am and will head towards Shravanabelagola located 145 kilometers away. We will have a breakfast stop along the way. By 10 am we would be at the base of the worlds largest monolith statue. The statue is 58 feet tall and belongs to Gomateswara the son of the first Jain Tirtankara Vrishaba Deva. The climb will take an hour, as there are 600 steps. For those who cannot or do not want to climb the steps, there are Dolis or Palanquin available where 4 people will carry you in a pedestal. Spectacular views greet you from the top! Other than the statue of Gomateswara, there are figurines of all the 24 Tirtankaras of Jainism. There are also several inscriptions from the period 800-1800 AD. Every 12 years a spectacular ceremony is held at Shravanabelagola where the statue is anointed with turmeric, water, rice, sugarcane juice, sandalwood paste, gold and silver flowers. Chandragiri is a hill near the statue where the great Mauryan King Chandragupta Maurya had visited for peace. There are many memorials to be found here belonging to nuns, monks and householders. Vindhyagiri is the other hill which can be seen. Lunch is organized in a traditional house where the lady serves you fresh and hot Jain Thalis. These meals are made in Jain tradition and hence are pure vegetarian and do not have onions or garlic. The tour ends around 6pm after we reach Bangalore.