The nine-day grand anointment of Bahubali, which is a visual splendour, began amidst chants of bhagawan Bahubali ki jai by an ecstatic crowd of over 5,000 people here on Saturday afternoon.
The ritual is held once in 12 years in reverence of the victorious king Bahubali, who preferred spiritual pursuit to his throne. The day’s events began with rituals at Kalasha Nagar, where kalasha holders were provided accommodation. The kalashas and holy liquids meant for the abhisheka were carried to the scaffolding, erected specially for the event.
As many as 108 kalashas were arranged in order in the courtyard in front of the statue. Ashok Patni and his family members from Kishangad in Rajashtan had the privilege of becoming the first kalasha holders. The family, which owns R.K. Marbles company, offered ₹11.61 crore for the first kalasha.
Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swami announced that the amount would be used to build a 200-bed hospital in Shravanabelagola. “Mr. Patni had taken the first kalasha during the event held in 2006 by offering ₹1.08 crore. We spent the amount for the children’s hospital,” the seer said.
The anointment began with ‘jalabhisheka’. In the presence of Acharya Vardhamana Sagar Maharaja and Pushpadanta Sagar Maharaja, the first kalasha was handed over to Mr. Patni, amidst chanting of hymns.
Mr. Patni and his family members climbed the scaffolding and poured holy water, as hundreds of devotees chanted Jai Jai Gomatesha.
The jalabhisheka was followed by panchamrutha abhisheka, after which tender coconut water, sugarcane juice and milk drenched the statute. As the cascading flow of milk enveloped the statue, the crowd was charged and was in rapture with devotees going into a trance at the visual spectacle.
Loud cheer erupted as the statue turned yellow after turmeric paste was poured.
This was followed by pouring of kashaya (herbal liquids), srigandha (sandal paste), chandana (coloured sandal), ashtagandha (a mix of eight types of sandal paste) and flowers.
The lensmen, who had arrived from different places, had their moment of the day when milk soaked the 58.8-ft-tall statue.
