Shravanabelagola

The Hassan district in Karnataka is famous for its innumerable temples that attract tourists from all over the world. The Shravanabelagola temple is a holy place for the Jains and is world renowned for the majesty of Lord Gomatheeswara towering over everything around. It is one of the holiest places for the Jain community attracting millions of devotees annually. There are two hills Chandragiri and Vindyagiri making up the area. Chandragupta Maurya is reputed to have stayed there with his mentor and the temple there dedicated to him was built by Emperor Ashoka in the third century B.C. There are plenty of monuments and shrines dedicated to other sanyasis and saints in Chandragiri.The statue of Lord Gomatheeswara, built by Chandrayana of the Gangas is in Vindyagiri. The verdant greenery and calm crystal clear waters of the ponds that have attracted hundreds of monks to seek this sanctuary to meditate have helped to make this place truly a ‘tapobhumi’ where people come to get deliverance.