SSC
The 18-metre-high monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara (Bahubali) is located at:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option B — Shravanabelagola, Karnataka
Detailed Solution
The famous statue of Lord Gomateshwara (Bahubali) stands on the Vindhyagiri hill at Shravanabelagola, in the Hassan district of Karnataka.
About the statue:
It is about 17.4 metres (57 feet) high, often rounded to 18 metres, and is carved from a single block of granite. It is one of the largest free-standing monolithic statues in the world.
It was commissioned around 983 CE by Chavundaraya (Chamundaraya), a general and minister of the Western Ganga king Rachamalla IV.
It shows Bahubali standing in the "kayotsarga" posture (deep meditation, standing upright), with creepers growing around his legs and arms, showing how long he stood in meditation without moving.
In 2007, it was voted the first of the "Seven Wonders of India" in a poll by The Times of India.
Mahamastakabhisheka:
- Every 12 years, a grand ceremony called "Mahamastakabhisheka" ("great head anointing") is held, in which the statue is anointed with water, milk, sugarcane juice, saffron paste, turmeric and flowers poured from above.
- The last Mahamastakabhisheka was held in February 2018.
About Bahubali:
- According to Jain tradition, Bahubali was the son of Rishabhanatha (Adinatha), the first Jain Tirthankara.
- After defeating his brother Bharata in a duel, he gave up his kingdom and meditated until he attained kevala jnana (omniscience).
About Shravanabelagola:
- It is one of the most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India.
- According to tradition, the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya came here with the Jain monk Bhadrabahu, became a Jain monk and gave up his life through "sallekhana" (fasting unto death) on the nearby Chandragiri hill.
- The town's name means "white pond of the ascetic".
Other Bahubali statues in Karnataka:
Karkala (about 13 m, 1432), Venur (about 11 m, 1604) and Dharmasthala (about 12 m, 1982).
Why not the other options?
- ✗Karkala has another, smaller Bahubali statue.
- ✗Mount Abu, Rajasthan, has the Dilwara Jain temples.
- ✗Palitana, Gujarat, has the Shatrunjaya hill Jain temples.
Quick tip
Remember: Gomateshwara/Bahubali statue = Shravanabelagola, Hassan, Karnataka (about 983 CE, by Chavundaraya; Mahamastakabhisheka every 12 years, last 2018); Chandragupta Maurya died on nearby Chandragiri hill.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Monuments & Religious Places Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Somnath Jyotirlinga temple is located in which state?
- Q2.The Kamakhya Temple is located in:
- Q3.The brick temple of Bhitargaon, one of the oldest surviving brick temples of India, is situated in:
- Q4.The Mahabodhi Temple is situated at:
- Q5.The famous Brihadeeswara Temple, built by Rajaraja Chola I, is situated in:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, 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 India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places 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.