Southern States
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Karnataka
Karkala gears up for `Mahamastakabhisheka'
By Ganesh Prabhu
KARKALA, (UDUPI Dt.), FEB. 3. The people of Karkala are gearing up for the "Mahamastakabhisheka'' for the 42-foot statue of Lord Bahubali which is going to be held from February 16 to 26. It will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna. Thousands of people from different parts of the country are expected to participate in the event. The ``kalashabhisheka'' of the 570-year-old statue which will begin with 108 kalashabhisheka on February 16 will culminate with 1008 kalashabisheka on February 26.
Karkala is a town of historical importance and a famous pilgrim centre for Jains. There are 18 Jain basadis here. The Bahubali statue is the second tallest in the State. The other statues in the State are at Shravanabelagola installed by Chamundaraya, which is 57-foot tall, at Venur installed by Timmaraja, which is 35-foot tall, and at Dharmasthala installed by D. Veerendra Heggade, which is 39-foot tall.
Karkala was under the Alupas, who later ceded it to the Santaras, who ruled as the vassals of the former. While the Alupas were Shaivaites, the Santaras were Jains. There was matrimonial alliance between the two. Later, the Santaras became independent. By the 12th Century, the Santara kingdom had extended to include parts of Malenadu such as Mudigere, Balehonnur, Sringeri, Koppa, and some parts of Narasimharajapur. The areas above the Western Ghats had Kalasa as the provincial capital, while those below it first had Keravase as the capital which was later shifted to Karkala. Hence, the members of this dynasty were called Kalasa-Karkala rulers.
Despite accepting the suzerainty of the Vijayanagar kings, the Santaras enjoyed a large measure of autonomy. The rulers of Karkala were called Bhairarasas. King Veera Bhairarasa (1390-1420) was the first prominent king of the dynasty. He had Keravase as his main capital. He built basadis at Barkur and Hiriyangady. He was succeeded by his son, Veera Pandya, who was a scholar known for his generous disposition. He maintained good relations with the Sringeri Math. The biggest achievement of his reign was the installation of the monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali at Karkala on February 13, 1432, on the instructions of the pontiff of Karkala, Lalitakeerti. On the completion of this feat, he got the title "Abhinava Chamundaraya.'' He also installed the "Brahma Stambha'' in front of the Bahubali statue on February 29, 1436.
He was succeeded by his nephew, Veera Pandya IV, who ruled from 1455-1475. He constructed the 57-foot "Manastambha'' in front of the Neminatha Basadi at Hiriyangady. On completion, he got the title "Abhinava Pandya.'' King Pandya VI, who signed a defence treaty with the Chowtas, built a basadi at Anekere. The next important king was Immadi Bhairava, who was instrumental in the construction of the Chaturmukha Basadi at Karkala and a "Sadhana Chaityalaya'' at Koppa. This dynasty is said to have come to an end in 1763 during the reign of Hyder Ali.
The Mahamastakabhisheka (anointing) ceremony this year would be conducted under the guidance of Swastisri Lalitakeerti Bhattaraka Pattacharyavarya Swamiji of Karkala Jain Math. During the Mahamastakabhisheka, tender coconut water, sugarcane juice, sandalwood paste, paste made out of medicinal herbs, and holy water are poured on the statue. It is believed that water cleanses the statue, while sandalwood helps in propagation of virtues of Bahubali, sugarcane juice removes hunger, milk is seen as a symbol of purity, and the paste of medicinal herbs signifies beauty. The Mahamastkabhisheka Committee is making preparations for the grand event, which is normally held once in 12 years. The only time that there was a long gap was between 1962 and 1990, due to the problems arising out of the passage of the Land Reforms Act. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has completed the cleaning up of the Bahubali statue and the Manastambha at Hiriyangady.
The committee has constructed a wooden scaffold at a cost of Rs. 7.5 lakh behind the statue of Bahubali to facilitate the anointing ceremony. The total cost of the event is estimated at Rs. 50 lakh. The committee proposes to raise funds by providing the ``kalashas'' to the devotees. A "pravachana mandira'' has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 80 lakh for religious and spiritual purposes. Discourses by scholars and cultural programmes would also be held during the Mahamastakabhisheka.
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