Karkala Gomateshwara Statue - Bahubali Statue

Karkala village is famous for its massive monolithic statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali. Bahubali was the son of first Jain Tirthankara ‘Adinath’. It was built by King Vir Pandya of the Kalasa-Karkala dynasty in 1432 AD. This was a period when Jainism was at its peak in the South Canara region of Karnataka. The Gomateshwara monolith statue stands inside high brick walls surrounding it, with only one entrance towards the North. Facing this entrance, there is a manasthambha pillar featuring a Brahma Yaksha in the seated position, and a kshetrapala (or kshetra rakshak) sculpture. One has to climb around 500 narrow steps to reach atop. Though it may be difficult for some, it will be a fun activity if the weather helps you, because of this green surroundings.

The statue stands in a height of 42 feet with a stone platform of 5 feet. What makes it distinct from other iconography is the creepers and ant hills on his legs and arms. One can find some of the statues of other Jain saints around the shrine. The statue has the features like elongated ears, long arms, three folds on the neck, curly hair etc. Along with the green landscape around the statue, one can also find a with in absolute symmetrical structure. It is a 16th century Jain temple in the name Chaturmukha Basadi with four beautifully carved gates on all four sides. The walls are beautifully carved with Jain related sculptures. From the temple, the Bahubali statue is visible till its waist.