With just a few days to go for the 88th Mahamastakabhisheka, the preparations are ongoing in full swing and is all set to welcome lakhs of visitors for Mahamastakabhisheka, the head anointment of Gomateshwara statue, beginning on February 17 to 26. The Jain Mutt at Shravanabelagola, which conducts the head anointment, is expecting more than 40 lakh devotees to witness the event, which is held once in 12 years. Vindhyagiri is located in the Shravanabelagola village while townships and other arrangements are made in the Kantharajapura village.
The government has provided infrastructure in tune with this expectation. For the first time, the State government has spent a whopping ₹75 crore towards temporary accommodation of visitors. The works on shelter for visitors and improvement of basic infrastructure and road connectivity are about to be completed. As many as 12 townships with basic necessities have come up on farm land temporarily acquired from farmers. The construction of the scaffolding for the Gomateshwara statue atop Vindhyagiri is almost completed. The temporary accommodation is for about 19,500 devotees and another 6,500 government officials, invitees and media professionals.
Apart from temporary arrangements, the government has given importance to creating a permanent infrastructure, while making use of this occasion. It has provided ₹175 crore for the whole event. A Germany-based company has taken up the construction using ring-and-lock system. The structure can accommodate over 5,000 people at a time. As many as three elevators have been provided for the structure.
A major portion of the funds has gone towards setting up the temporary shelter. Besides, the government has taken up upgrade of roads connecting the pilgrimage centre, rejuvenation of tanks, improving bus-stands, fencing of historical monuments, and improving drinking water facility among others. The event is expected to increase flow of tourists, the administration has made arrangements for additional bus facility and has provided an opportunity to hire two-wheelers to visit nearby tourist spots.
The rirtuals related to Mahamastakabhisheka wil begin on February 7, while the head anointment begins on February 17. The number of kalashas (holy vessels) to be used for the first day is 108, while for the rest of the days it will be 1,008 each.
Meanwhile in a bid to ensure law and order situation and avoid any kind of untoward incidents during this world famous head anointing ceremony of Lord Bahubali, the district administration has decided to ban the sale of all kinds of alcohol products in two villages- Shravanabelagola and Kantharajapura.
The Story of Bahubali….
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