When we started our blog we were often suggested to write about Udupi and Mangalore or to be precise about our hometown Karkala. After spending our last few days here attending one of the historic events of the town, Mahamasthakabhisheka we decided to share our experience with you all. Staying away from home, not only it gave us an opportunity to spend time with our family but also helped to get reacquainted with our culture and root.
Located at the coastal part of Karnataka State, famously known as Tulunadu (Udupi and Dakshina Kannada) has history dating back to 3rd Century AD. Karkala is one such town that has been a major contributor to Tuluva culture. Perched on the foothills of Western Ghats this quaint little town has been centre for Jain devotees for many years.

One of the major attractions of the town is the 41.5 feet monolithic granite statue of Lord Bahubali located at the hilltop of Gommatabetta. The statue was consecrated in the year 1432 by King Veera Pandya of Bhairava dynasty. Every 12 years the Jain community celebrates the Mahamasthakabhisheka event, a sacred ritual performed since ancient times (the first Masthakabhisheka in Karkala was held in 1646). The Mastakabhisheka is a ceremony of worshipping Lord Bahubali for his sacrifice, and his principles of non-violence and peace.







The grand event was held this year from 21st of January to 30th January and we sisters were lucky to witness this celebration. During the ceremony, the statue of Lord Bahubali will be bathed in water and various other dravyas (liquids) like milk, coconut water, sugarcane juice, turmeric, sandalwood etc. Lakhs of people from all over India come to witness this grand event and participating in the anointing ceremony is considered as a way of cleansing your mind, body and soul by the Jains.





The statue is in its full glory while the various abhishekas are performed and is an absolute delight to watch as people sing and dance making you forget the outside world. Apart from the anointing ceremony of the statue, various cultural programs, exhibitions and fairs are also held. Although it’s a religious ceremony the entire town of Karkala gets together to celebrate this 10-day event.






Very close to the Gommabetta is another famous Jain temple, the Chaturmukha Basadi, which was built by another Bhairava King in 1586. The temple has four identical doors facing four directions, hence the name Chaturmukha and one of the doorways faces the statue of Lord Bahubali. The structure of the Basadi resembles a square mandap with 108 pillars in total all around the verandah and is flat roofed with huge granite slabs placed on top. The Basadi has about 6 feet large statues of 18th, 19th and 20th (Ara, Malli and Munisuvrath) Thirthankars alongside Goddess Padmavati. The Basadi is famous for its unique architectural design and is mentioned as “Ratnatraya Dhama” in ancient inscriptions.





Both the Basadi and the Gomateshwara statue are protected under The Archaeological Survey of India as excellent examples of ancient art and architecture.
The closest cities to Karkala are Udupi and Mangalore and closest airport is the Mangalore International Airport.
Apart from Karkala, Karnataka state has three other monolith statue of Lord Bahubali in Shravanabelagola (57 feet), Dharmasthala (39 feet) and Venur (35 feet).
Photo Courtesy : Nerenki Parshwanath, Ravivarma, Rathan Barady and Niranjan Jain.
Feels good to see a very nicely tailored discription of our hometown and culture!!
Thank you Vipul!! Yes it is definitely a great pleasure to write about our hometown 🙂
That is so so impressive, thanks for sharing this with us 🙂
Thank you!! 🙂
WHOA! I am stunned by these pics. How did you take the pics? all angles suggest you are at a good height to capture all. Amazing festival too! I hope I can visit this place soon.
Thank you Indrani.It is a must visit if are in Mangalore or Udupi. Do let us know if you are planning a trip. Maybe we can meetup :). The pictures are not captured by us but some of our friends who are masters in photography. As they are amazing, we decided to share them with everyone 🙂
First thing first. The first picture is a killer!!
Nicely done description of your hometown.
Thank you Nisha 🙂
Amazing pics.
Thanks Rupam 🙂
My in-laws have been telling me a lot abt Karkala and with your pictures, I now know where to head to next 😀
Oh thats lovely!! Hope you visit soon, we are sure you will like it 🙂
Awesome captures…would love to visit one day 🙂
Thank you Shweta 🙂
This is a true spectacle! You have been very lucky to witness this!
Yes indeed!! We truely feel lucky to witness this event 🙂
Your pictures gave an idea as to how grand the celebrations are!
Wow! You got to see a mahamasthakabhisheka! That must have been quite an experience. And the way to the top looks much more steep than the one is Shravanabelagola.
Btw, is that scaffolding a permanent structure? It sure looks like one.
Awesome images, girls. 🙂
Thank you Dee 🙂 Naah the scaffolding is temperory, built just for the event.
That’s massive….Awesome shots and detailed post. Thanks for sharing…!
Your welcome Sunaina 🙂 Thanks for stopping by our blog!
What a fabulous gallery! Takes me back to my childhood in Mangalore. We had close Jain friends who used to invite us to the mahamasthakabhisheka every year with a ringside view. I really need to return home as a tourist 🙂 Do you live in Karkala?