Fwd: Crowds throng to see Parshwanath statue

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jainfriends, "Mahavir" <msanglikar> wrote:

KASAMALAGI/ BANGALORE: Kasmalagi, a small village of 1,600 people, is

hogging the limelight after an eleventh century statue of lord

Parshwanath, the 23rd Tirthankar (Supreme God) of Jains, was

recovered while digging a foundation in a school.

 

It was a moment of joy as well as anxiety for the construction

workers when they saw a flat stone under the mud.

 

Slowly the dark green-coloured monolithic statue of Parshwanath

emerged to sight.

 

A sea of devotees have begun thronging the small village to see the

idol.

 

Archaeologists from Kittur have confirmed that the idol belongs to

the 11th century.

 

The idol looks great even though it has been buried for nearly 1,000

years. Small sculptures of Yaksha, Yakshi, (Dharanendra and

Padamavatidevi) are carved at the feet of the statue, which also has

an inscription in ancient Kannada (Halegannada), that reads: ``This

statue has been carved by Hamashetty, disciple of Chandabhata of

Tribhuvan Basadi (Jain temple), in Kesharmenage (Kasamalagi)''.

 

Bhupal Savant of Kasamalagi told this website's newspaper, ``Large

crowds come here day and night.

 

Devotees from neighbouring villages come in tractors, bullock-carts

and other vehicles, too.''

 

Writer and historian Chidanand Murthy said that the district of

Belgaum was once a famous Jain centre.

 

The area between Hukkeri and Nippani was dotted with many Jain study

centres in the past.

 

``There are likely to be other Jain sculptures in Belgaum.

 

What is required is sound research and excavation in nearby areas'',

said Murthy.

 

Priest of Parshwanath Jain Mandir P Shantinath said three other

statues in green marble, similar to the new one, were earlier

recovered in Aminabhavi and Ibrahimpur.

 

``The Yaksha-Yakshi engraving on the statue prove that the tradition

of worshipping them was, indeed, very ancient'', said Shanthinath.

 

He added that the theory behind yaksha worship had always been

controversial.

 

Kasamalagi is situated 465 km from Bangalore on NH-4 and 56 km from

Belgaum, the nearest district headquarters.

 

Belgaum is well connected by rail, road and air.

 

Distances: Kittur-14km, Beedi- 1km.

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