K.R. Pet: The annual anointing ceremony of the historical 18 ft. tall statue of Lord Bahubali (Gommateshwara) at Basti Hoskote near Bookanakere in the Taluk of Mandya district was held amid religious fervour and grandeur on Sunday.

The festivities began with D. Surendra Heggade, brother of Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade, pouring holy water on the statue of Lord Bahubali through the ‘Suvarna Kalasha’. 

The statue is said to be installed in 1147 during the reign of Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana.

The lord was also bathed in tender coconut, sugarcane juice, milk, white rice powder, turmeric powder, kashaya, ashta gandha, pushpa vrishti etc., The festivities ended with Mahamangalarathi and decoration of the statue with a big garland.

Speaking on the occasion, Surendra Heggade, who is the National  Working President of Bharatiya Jain Milan Trust, said that the 58 ft. tall Gommateshwara Statue at Shravanabelagola has become famous globally. Pointing out that Jainism is representative of peace, non-violence and tolerance,he said that Jain community has significantly contributed to the welfare of the society.  Assuring that Dharmasthala Rural Development Organisation will extend all help for the development of Basti Hoskote shrine, which is close to the confluence of Hemavathi, Cauvery and Lakshmanteertha rivers, he sought the co-operation of elected representatives and the locals for the same.

Kanakagiri Bhuvanakeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji who graced the occasion, said that Jainism has solutions for bringing about global peace and harmony. Pointing out that one will gain peace of mind by offering prayers, he called upon the people for developing tolerance towards others and to respect all religions. Noting that Jainism hinges on the culture of non-violence and sacrifice,the seer urged the Government to take measures for renovation of Jain shrines.

Hundreds of devotees from different parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan and residents of nearby villages witnessed the grand ceremony. Also, a good number of Jain monks from Karkala, Moodabidri, Saligrama (Udupi), Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Haveri, Bengaluru and Belagavi took part.

Mandya ZP Vice-President Gayathri, Basti Hoskote Bhagawan Bahubali Digambar Jain Trust President Dr. H.S.L. Kumar, Mandya Urban Development Authority Chairman K. Srinivas, Dharmasthala Rural Development Organisation  District Officer Vinaykumar Suvarna and others were present.