WORLD TALLEST STATUE OF LORD BASAVESHWARA AT BASAVAKALYAN IN BIDAR DISTRICT (KARNATAKA) INDIA
Basavanna was born in a high-placed Brahmin family in Ingaleshwar-Bagewadi of Vijayapura District, Karnataka around 1131 A.D. A 108-feet tall giant statue of 12th century social reformer Basavanna, which is said to be only one of its kind in the world, which was dedicated to the humanity.
It took eight long years for Shimoga sculptor Sridhar Murthy to complete the statue, built on a platform of 80 feet wide and 24 feet high. Besides Sridhar Murthy, around 60 skilled labourers worked daily for eight years to create the statue on a hillock and the statue stands 182 Ft, above the ground level. The statue is said to have consumed 300 tons of steel and 16,000 bags of cement besides huge quantities of sand and other materials. The platform is a two-storey structure with a facility for screening a 3-D sound and light film depicting 32 main events in the life of Basavanna.
The statue has been built to draw international attention to the unique Vachana literature which spread the message of equality.
During the 12th century, Bhakti Bhandari Basavanna or Basavaeswara, the Indian Philosopher, the Social Reformer and 770 Shivasharanas lived at Basavakalyan and set up the first parliament of the world –Anubhava Mantap. After the Kalyana Kranti, the Shivasharanas left Basavakalyan and most of the caves, including the Anubhava Mantap, are in a dilapidated state. With a view to restore the past glory, Mate Mahadevi has undertook the project.
Besides the statue, there is also a cave built for Basavanna, another for Akka Mahadevi, which are 500 meters deep inside the hillock, and a Sharana Grama (village of saints) at Basavakalyan.
Basava Dharma Peetha Charitable Trust with the intension of reviving Sharana cultural heritage purchased a land of 3 acres on 21-12-2001 by the side of main road nearby the entrance of Basava Kalyana town. Sri Basaveswara cave and Akkamahadevi cave have been chiselled and carved beautifully in laterite rock-soil. Sharana village formed pictures the concept of 12th Century Sharanas engaged actively in their Kayakas (occupations).
The sanctum sanctorum houses a small Linga, and has a beautifully-decorated doorway with numerous door jambs. An image of Gajalakshmi is at the center. The lintel framing the vestibule is well carved and is typical of Kalyani Chalukya style of temple.
The Trust is running an orphanage. There is a beautiful Hillock which is named as Sharana Shaila. Beautiful rolling land scape is the high light of the place. On Sharana Shaila is erected Lord Basavanna’s statue of 108’ height. It is structured on a pedestal of 24 feet height, 60’ x 80’ size.
He was a man ahead of his time, who believed that conflict should be resolved through debate and not violence. Saint Basavanna fought social problems with principles based on dharmic concerns. All preaching’s of Basavanna were aimed at cleansing the society of evil practices and to ensure social developments.
Saint Basavanna said
Do not steal, do not kill. Do not utter lies.
Do not lose your temper. Do not detest others.
Do not glorify yourself. Do no blame others.
This alone is purity within. This alone is purity without.
Basavanna was modest and used to say, There is none smaller than I. He used to say that he did not want to be praised. He would work with the people as one of them. He always addressed them, courteously in affectionate terms, as ‘father’, ‘brother’ and so on.
Basaveshwara, colloquially known as Basavanna, was a 12th-century CE Indian statesman, philosopher, poet, social reformer and Lingayat saint in the Shiva-focused bhakti movement, and a Hindu Shaivite social reformer during the reign of the Kalyani Chalukya/Kalachuri dynasty.
Basava Jayanthi will be observed on May 7.
Books: The Lord of the Meeting Rivers, Devotional Poems of Basavanna, Basavanna Vachanagalu.
