SSC
Which Jain festival is celebrated once every twelve years at Shravanabelagola?
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Answer: Option B — Mahamastakabhisheka
Detailed Solution
The Mahamastakabhisheka, meaning "the grand head-anointing ceremony", is a Jain festival held once every 12 years at Shravanabelagola, in the Hassan district of Karnataka. It is the anointing of the giant statue of Lord Bahubali, also known as Gommateshwara.
The statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola stands about 57 feet (17.4 metres) tall on the Vindhyagiri hill. It is carved from a single block of granite and is one of the largest free-standing monolithic statues in the world. It was commissioned in about 983 CE by Chavundaraya, a minister and general of the Western Ganga dynasty. In 2007, it was voted the first of the "Seven Wonders of India" in a popular poll.
According to Jain tradition, Bahubali was a son of Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), the first Tirthankara. After winning a duel against his elder brother Bharata for the kingdom, he renounced everything and stood in deep meditation for a whole year without moving, so long that creepers grew around his legs and ants built hills at his feet, as shown on the statue. He attained kevala jnana (omniscience).
During the Mahamastakabhisheka, devotees climb scaffolding built behind the statue and pour on it, from its head, thousands of pots of water, milk, sugarcane juice, coconut water, saffron paste, turmeric, sandalwood paste and flower petals, creating a spectacular sight as the colours flow down the statue. The festival attracts lakhs of pilgrims and tourists. The last Mahamastakabhisheka at Shravanabelagola was held in 2018.
Shravanabelagola is one of the most important Jain pilgrimage centres. According to tradition, Chandragupta Maurya came here with the Jain monk Bhadrabahu and spent his last days on the Chandragiri hill.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Paryushana is the annual Jain festival of fasting and forgiveness, in Bhadrapada.
- ✗Mahavir Jayanti is the annual celebration of Mahavira's birth, in Chaitra.
- ✗Gyana Panchami is the annual Jain festival of knowledge, in Kartika.
Quick tip
Remember: The Mahamastakabhisheka = every 12 years, the Bahubali (Gommateshwara) statue at Shravanabelagola (Karnataka) and Chavundaraya.
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Festivals & Fairs of India — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Festivals & Fairs of India, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the religious, harvest, tribal and cultural festivals of India, the fairs (melas) held across the country, and the states, communities and seasons linked to them. It also includes festivals listed by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage, such as Kumbh Mela and Durga Puja in Kolkata. Most questions ask which state celebrates a festival, which tribe it belongs to, or what event it marks. Harvest festivals are especially common: Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Onam (Kerala), Bihu (Assam), Lohri and Baisakhi (Punjab) and Nuakhai (Odisha). Fairs such as the Pushkar camel fair (Rajasthan) and the Sonepur cattle fair (Bihar) are also frequently tested. Revise festivals state by state. Practise the festivals and fairs questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.