A History of the Bahubali Statue in Karkala, South India

Summary

Karkala, currently a taluk in Mangalore district of Karnataka, has deep historical roots, with traces from the Stone Age to the medieval period. It rose to prominence under the Jaina Bhairava kings, descendants of the Santaras of Humcha and Kalasa, who ruled for over six centuries. Their rule significantly shaped Karkala’s religious and cultural landscape. The Bhairava rulers, identifying as devotees of Padmavati and tracing their origin to Jinadattaraya of Mathura, were instrumental in establishing Jain monuments in the region. Vira Bhairarasa I (r. 1390–1420) was a key early patron, commissioning multiple temples including the Nemisvara Basadi and temples dedicated to Mahadeva and Vishnu. His son, Vira Pandya, famously commissioned the monolithic Gommata (Bahubali) statue in Karkala on 13 February 1432 CE. Subsequent rulers contributed richly: i) Bhairarasa IV maintained close ties with Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara. ii) Bhairarasa VI built the caturmukha basadi at Anekere. iii) Bhairavendra IV constructed the Tribhuvanatilaka Caityalaya (1586 CE), Sravana Basadi near Anekere, Sadana Caityalaya in Koppa, and supported a Jain school at Hiriyangadi. iv) Pandyappa (1610–1660) held a mahamastakabhiseka in 1646 CE and sponsored Jain poet Candrama, author of Gommata Caritre. v) Literary patronage flourished under Bhairava kings, supporting Jain poets like Kalyanakirti and Candrama, with compositions in both Kannada and Sanskrit. Several works such as Bhavyananda, Jnana Candrabhudaya, and Lokaswarupa were produced during this period. vi) Religious life was closely linked with the Jain matha. Initially guided by Lalitakirti Bhattaraka of Panasoge (now Hanasoge, Mysore), the Bhairava rulers later established a matha in Karkala itself in 1504 CE due to a ceremonial scheduling conflict with Mudbidre. The Bhattaraka lineage at Karkala, an offshoot of Panasoge, was formalized that year. A lithic inscription at the Bahubali statue confirms Lalitakirti’s spiritual oversight during its consecration. vii) The fall of Vijayanagara and the rise of the Keladi Nayakas weakened the Bhairava dynasty. Karkala came under Nayaka suzerainty, then Haidar Ali's rule in 1763 CE, marking the end of the Bhairava line. From 1763–1799 it remained under Srirangapatna’s control, before passing to the British. viii) By the late 20th century, Karkala housed 15 basadis and the towering Bahubali statue, with notable inscriptions and nisidis. The matha was revived in 1988 with a new Bhattaraka, and the mahamastakabhiseka was held in 1990.