The Hindu : Karnataka News : Mahamastakabhisheka on February 8 next

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Tuesday, Feb 22, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Mahamastakabhisheka on February 8 next

By Our Staff Correspondent

SHRAVANABELAGOLA, (HASSAN DT.) FEB. 21 The Mahamastakabhisheka of Gomateshwara at Shravanabelagola will be held on February 8 next year.

Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji of Srikshetra Shravanabelagola told presspersons here on Monday that the decision was taken after consulting astrologers and pundits.

The mahamastakabhisheka festival will be officially inaugurated on January 22.

The historic event, which is held once in 12 years, had to be been postponed by a year because of successive years of drought, he said.

Functions related to mahamastakabhisheka, which has been eagerly awaited, will be held from January 22 to February 3 and Panchakalyana (rituals related to mahamastakabhisheka) will commence from February 4, he said.

Rituals

The abhisheka as a rule should be performed every day for any image that is worshipped, but the size of the Gomateshwara statue makes that impossible. Thus, only the feet of the statue are washed daily in what is known as "pada puja" and the mastakabhisheka is performed occasionally. Later, the mastakabhisheka came to be termed as mahamastakabhisheka as it is performed at certain conjunctions of the heavenly bodies at intervals of several years. The ritual is impressive and spectacular with monks and priests and lakhs of pilgrims taking part in it.

The mahamastakabhisheka is popularly known as the "Grand festival of Shravanabelagola."

The festival begins a few days before the main event and ends a few days after the mahamastakabhisheka.

On the day of the mahamastakabhisheka (February 8), the area in front of the statue presents a glorious sight. One hundred and eight coloured "kalashas" are arranged in a geometrical pattern. Each pot has a coconut with mango leaves tied to it with a holy coloured thread.

These pots are used for anointing the monolith statue of Gomateshwara.

On February 9, as many as 504 kalashas will be used for anointing the statue, and on February 10, 1,008 kalashas will be used.

On February 11, the maha puja for Sarvathobhadra Thirthankara will be held at Bhandara Basadi and again 1,008 kalashas will be used for mahamastakabhisheka on February 12 and 13.

Sahasrakoota Jinabimba abhisheka maha puja will be held on February 14 and mahamastakabhisheka will be held on February 15 and 16 by using the same number of kalashas. Saraswathi Jinavani Puja will be held on February 17 and mahamastakabhisheka will be repeated on February 18 and 19 by offering the kalashas, the swamiji said.

The former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, had attended the mahamastakabhisheka in 1981 and the former President, Shankar Dayal Sharma, attended it in 1993.

The decision on inviting dignitaries for the event will be taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, shortly.

Arrangements

Sub-committees have been formed for conducting the event and it has been decided to complete the arrangements by December this year, the swamiji said.

The railway authorities are working on linking Shravanabelagola with Bangalore and Hassan, and according to them work will be completed in three months.

The work on supplying drinking water from the Hemavathy to Shravanabelagola is progressing and it has been decided to spend Rs. 10 crores on that, he said.

There is a plan to install a lift to Dodda Betta to transport pilgrims who cannot climb the hill. Nearly three lakhs pilgrims will watch the event from Chikkabetta, he said.

Preparatory meetings are being held in Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi and the number of pilgrims this time will be more than those in previous years, the swamiji added.

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