When Was the Gommata Image at Sravana-Belgola Set Up?
By A. Venkatasubbiah
Summary
The Gommata (also called Bihubalit or Bhujabali) is a colossal 57-foot monolithic statue of the Jaina hero Gommata at Sravana-Belagola in Karnataka. According to Jaina tradition, Gommata was the younger brother of Bharata, the first emperor of the world. After Bharata’s victory in a battle for the empire, Gommata renounced worldly life, practiced austerities, and attained spiritual liberation. Emperor Bharata then erected a 525-bow-length (approximately 57 feet) statue of him at Pandanapura, which became known as Kukkutesvara due to the presence of cockatrices in the area. Three large monolithic images of Gommata exist in South India: two in Karnataka (41 feet and 35 feet tall, dated to 1432 and 1604 CE) and the Sravana-Belagola statue. The origins of the latter are debated. Some Jaina texts claim the image was brought from Lanka by Rama and Sita, while others suggest it manifested miraculously or was sculpted and consecrated by Camundariya, a minister of King Ricamalla (ruled c. 974–983 CE). Inscriptions on the statue, likely dated to the 10th century CE, credit Camundariya with its establishment. A verse in the *Bhujabalicarita* (c. 1614 CE) mentions a consecration date in 977 CE (Vibhava year 600), but this is considered historically implausible. Scholars
Conclusion
This study clarifies the contested chronology of the Gommata statue at Sravana-Belgola, synthesizing textual and epigraphic evidence to propose a 10th-century CE date. While Jain traditions offer conflicting narratives—ranging from mythological origins tied to Rama and Sita to Camundariya’s consecration in 2501 CE—the analysis prioritizes paleographic and historical consistency. The key inscriptions, undated but stylistically dated to the 10th century, confirm Camundariya’s role in its establishment, aligning with the period’s political and religious context. This conclusion resolves discrepancies in earlier scholarship, anchoring the statue’s origins in a historically plausible timeframe while acknowledging the interplay of legend and historical record in its transmission.