Naked monks and rich devotees

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Bahubali's search for truth ended in Paudanapura, where he was frozen in meditation. Chamundaraya's search for the golden statue in the mythical land ended in Shravanabelagola, where he erected a gigantic staue in the likeness of his vision. Endless pilgrims start their spiritual journey from the footsteps of the gentle giant atop the Vindhyagiri. Ascent is a prayer here.

Naked monks with peacock feathers overtake obese pilgrims on the hewn stone steps. Lean men with 'dolis' wait for passengers to carry up and down the hill. Priests with red turbans straight from history wait for devotees with wads of notes. The majestic monolith presides over all these. Two years later you will have to pay a fortune to reserve your place on the hill, when pots and pots of milk and water will flow over Bahubali's head in the once-in-12-years Mahamastakabhisheka.

For travellers to this Jain shrine, Bahubali's curly head acts as a lighthouse. The road winds through the valley between the two famous hills. In a cave on the smaller one, Chandragiri, Kushmandini Devi appeared in Chamundaraya's dream, ending his and his mother's search for the Jain saint called theerthankara, who melted into nature in meditation.

Before waking up he shot an arrow at the boulder on the peak of Vindhyagiri, which split to reveal the golden statue. The vision was the inspiration for countless masons to carve the saint out of the same stone, which was installed in 981. The 57-foot-high statue was to put this sleepy hamlet in the pilgrims' circuit for years.

As pilgrims step out of the dharmasalas at dawn, a group of musicians start their daily trip past the thirthankaras. On the summit, when the priests anoint Bahubali's feet with water and flowers, they will accompany the ecstasy of the dancing devotees. Behind them, Kushmandini Devi, the oracle, also dances.

Bahubali stands oblivious to the celebration as to the snakes and vines creeping over him. He seems to remember the day when his stony glance defeated his emperor-brother, Bharatha, in a duel for the kingdom. The day when, on the verge of conquest, the son of Adinatha turned to the path of renunciation.

On the way to the summit, pilgrims bow before 24 identical thirthankaras, the first of them Bahubali's father. Each of them has a symbol engraved at the pedestal. Adinatha's symbol has given him the name of Rishabhanatha. He was born in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama, and attained salvation on Mt Kailasa, the home of Shiva.

The Gomateshwara staue at Shravanabelagola was the greatest royal tribute to the fresh wave of spiritualism that washed over the Deccan. It was not until the time of Rachamalla of Ganga dynasty, the king of Lalavanapura, that the strongest myth of Jainism was concretised through his minister Chamundaraya.

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