Chavundaraya - Builder

Builder

The Gomateshwara monolith, a statue of the Jain saint, Gomateshwara, was commissioned by Chavundaraya and built on the Indragiri hill (also known as Vindhyagiri Hill) is a unique example of Western Ganga sculpture. Carved from fine-grained white granite, the image stands on a lotus. It has no support up to the thighs and is 60 feet tall with the face measuring 6.5 feet. With the serene expression on the face of the image, its curled hair with graceful locks, its proportional anatomy, the monolith size, and the combination of its artistry and craftsmanship have led it to be called the mightiest achievement in sculptural art in medieval Karnataka. It is the largest monolithic statue in the world. The Chavundaraya basadi also in Shravanabelagola and built on the Chandragiri Hill is credited to him by some scholars while others argue it was built by his son Jinadevana. However by the 12th century additions to the shrine were made by a later King Gangaraja by which time tradition held that the shrine was built by Chavundaraya. However another view holds that the original shrine itself was consecrated in the 11th century and built in memory of Chavundaraya.