The Land of Temples
Shravanabelagola, a major pilgrimage centre for Jains, is a place abounding with many temples of great architectural perfection. The town is famous for its huge monolithic statue of Gommateshwara. Right at the centre of the town is a beautiful pond. The name of the town itself has reference to the pond - bel (white) and gola (pond).
The temples are located on two hills - Chandragiri and Indragiri. Most of the temples in Chandragiri follow the Dravidian style of architecture and are enclosed within a wall. Indragiri has a long flight of steps leading to its summit. As you go up the hill, you will come across Indragiri’s share of Basadis.
Shravanabelagola has played an important role in the spread of Jainism in South India. The inscriptions which have been found here date back to as far as 1000 A.D, i.e. during the first settlement of Jains here. The inscriptions speak of the rise and the fall of the Ganga kings, the Hoysala kingdom, about the Vijayanagar Empire and the Mysore Royal house. Shravanabelagola also has made its own share of contributions to the Kannada language and literature. Under the patronage of the Gangas of Talakad, Shravanabelagola reached the peak of its glory.
Bangalore airport is the nearest airport
12 km to the south of the Bangalore - Mangalore road (NH-48)
Hassan station is the nearest station. Regular trains run to Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore.
