The Shravanbelgola Inscription

Majestic and Divine

The Gommateshwara Bahubali is the tallest monolithic statue carved out of a single block of granite. The site is revered as a holy and important pilgrim destination among Jains.

As you climb up the Vindyagiri hill, taking in the hilltop view of the town Sharavanbelgola spread at the foothills, you reach one of the largest free standing statues in the world, at 58.8 ft. height. The Gommateshwara Bahubali is the tallest monolithic statue carved out of a single block of granite. The site is revered as a holy and important pilgrim destination among Jains. The work of this statue was authorized by Chavundraya, also known as Chamundaraya. Apart from being a poet and an architect he also served as a military commander and minister to King Rachamalla II of Ganga Dynasty. The idol was built under the supervision of Acharya Nemichandra Siddhanta Chakravarti.

The Shravanbelagola inscription of Nandisena

In spite of its imposing look due to its height, the statue has a serene look and creates a divine atmosphere. My curiosity lay in the inscriptions on it. The Shravanbelagola inscription of Nandisena is dated 7th century, making it one of the earliest inscriptions in Kannada Language. They contain a beautiful description of the great Saint Nandisena and his journey to heaven. Often examined to study the development in Kannada Literature, these inscriptions also shed the light on the cursive, clean, simple yet graceful writing style of Old Kannada.

The 1st Inscription of Marathi Language

One can also see, near the left foot of the idol, two lines of the old Nagari (Devnagari).

श्री चामुण्डराजें करवियलें (Shri Chamundraya created this)

श्री गंगाराजें सुत्ताले करवियले (Shri Gangaraje made the compound wall)

Dating back to 983 CE, this is the oldest known inscriptions of Marathi Language and the Nagari Script. It also gives an idea about the Nagari writing style belonging to that period. Upon close observation one can learn more about treatment given to Jodaksharas (conjoined letters) and can also notice how stylishly the alphabets were written.