SRAVANABELGOLA - The tallest Jain monolith!

As a part of Paul's Fulbright program, we were invited to an excellent conference in Udipi/Manipal that gathered 50 or 60 current and former Fulbrighters. Instead of flying (1 hour), we chose to take the looong scenic route by bus...

Our first stop was the quiet pilgrimage site of Sravanabelgola with it's many temples, mutts (monasteries), and 2 hilltop shrines. The highlight is the 60 foot high statue of Gomateshwara, standing on the granite hilltop and gazing off to the north. It is an awesome and stunning monument, brought alive by the steady stream of chanting singing pilgrims swirling through the complex. Prayers are said, offerings made, water and ghee and oils and rice are sprinkled and pours on Gomateshwara's massive granite feet. I am still incredulous as to how they raised this gigantic statue, carved from a single rock! It is claimed that this is the tallest free-standing monolithic statue in all of India...

The town itself is very peaceful and focused on prayer and pilgrimage... after our loud busy days in Bangalore traffic, and a 3 hour bus ride, this place felt very relaxing. We enjoyed our sunset on the top of the big hill (Indragiri), and then rose the next morning at 5am to catch the sunrise on the smaller hill (Chandragiri). Our sunrise didn't really happen, as we encountered heavy mist and swirling clouds, all of which added to the beautiful atmosphere of the sacred place.

The countryside is pretty idyllic, with rice paddies, coconut palms, canals and lakes, abundant birdlife, waterbuffaloes, and strange granite boulders cropping up here and there... It would be a fabulous area to zip around on a motorcycle someday!