Views in Mysore. Shevana Bala Gola [Sravana Belgola]. The Rock and Statue from Below
0000; Gale Group; Linguagem: English
Resumo
Photograph from an album of 40 albumen prints by Edmund David Lyon. Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka is a site sacred to those of the Jain faith, especially venerated by the Digambara sect of Jainism. It comprises the Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri hills and at the summit of the former, larger hill is a colossal granite statue of the Jain saint Bahubali, dating from the 10th century. For over 1000 years it has ranked as the world's tallest monolithic free-standing sculpture with a height of 18ms. The serene statue is known locally as Gomateshvara. It was carved at the behest of Chamundaraya, a minister in the court of the Western Ganga king Rachamalla IV (ruled 974-99). Bahubali, the son of Rishabanatha, the first Jain saint, himself achieved sainthood through meditating for several years and the statue portrays him standing upright, with vines growing about his limbs. This view looks towards the Vindhyagiri hill and the Jain shrines on the summit. Lyon wrote in his 'Notes to Accompany a Series of Photographs Prepared to Illustrate the Ancient Architecture of Southern India' (Marion & Co., London, 1870), edited by James Fergusson, that this '…is a view of the Rock taken from below, close to the camping-ground. The enclosure at the top is the temple, and above it, the head and shoulders of the statue are also seen. There is no path of any sort up the rock, and visitors must scramble as best they can to the door seen in the wall, by which the temple is entered'. Photographer: Lyon, Edmund David.
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