Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Bahubali on Feb 2

Dharmastala (Karnataka), Feb 1: The stage has been set for thecentury's first Mahamastakabhisheka (head anointing ceremony) of the39-ft-high monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali at Ratnagiri hills inthis famous temple town, tomorrow morning.

The entire temple town had been decked up with welcome arches,banners and illuminations to greet a large number of Jain and otherdevotees.

The statue was being anointed for the third time after a gap of 12years, following the one immediately after the installation andconsecration in 1982 and then in 1995.

As a prelude to the mega event tomorrow, the statue was anointedby Dr D Veerendra Hegade, the Dharmadhikari of Srikshetra Dharmastala,and his family members today. The statue was first anointed with 504kalashas (pots) of water, followed by tender coconut, sugarcane juice,milk, rice flour, turmeric powder, 'Kashaya' (concoction), sandalwoodpaste and 'Astagandha'.

The Mastakabhisheka to Lord Bahubali, which began at 1044 hrs,culminated with the Mahamangalarathi at 1330 hrs. 'Pushpavristi'(showering with flower petals) was also held on the occasion.

A huge steel scaffolding was erected behind the statue forperforming the anointing ceremony, being held under the guidance ofrenowned senior Jain Muni 102 Vardhaman Muni Maharaj.

During the last four days, various religious rituals to BhagwanChandranatha Thirthankar such as 'Garbhavarana Kalyan' was also held,culminating with 'Kevala Jnana Kalyan' today.

Meanwhile, elaborate arrangements have been made at both Ratnagiriand around the temple for the smooth conduct of the mega event. Closedcircuit televisions have been installed to witness the religiousspectacle, besides arranging special KSRTC buses from various parts ofthe State. The district administration had deployed additional policeforce to maintain law and order during the event.

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