Lord Bahubali Mahamastakabhisheka begins at Dharmasthala

Belthnagady: The customary Mahamastakabhisheka of the huge monolith statue of Lord Bahubali began amid fanfare at 8.45 am at Ratnagiri hill in Dharmasthala on Saturday February 16^th. The gathered devotees and others who were awaiting the event which takes place after a gap of 12 years here erupted with joy.

The first Kalasha containing holy items blessed by the sages were offered to the statue of Lord Bahubali on the first day by Dr D Veerendra Heggade and family. The ceremonial bath will continue on Sunday and Monday.

The variety of liquid offerings in different colours being poured on the head of the statue provided a breath-taking view as the statue turned into different colours. There are 64 curls of hair on the statue’s head which signify the 64 forms of education which the Lord had mastered. The devotees at the feet of the statue consumed the offering poured on the statue as a form of blessing.

The occasion began in the morning around 7:45 am when the ‘Agrodaka Procession’ which left Chandranatha Swamy Basadi at Dharmasthala reached the hill. The holy water was then collected in Kalashas and carried to the summit of the hill in palanquins. The grandeur of the procession was heightened by the presence of decorated elephants.

Around 2,000 people had gathered when the ceremonial bath began at 8:45 am and as the day progressed, even more people arrived at the location. It took around 5 hours for the ceremonial bath to complete on the first day. A myriad of things were poured on the statue including water, coconut water, sugarcane juice, milk, powdered stone, turmeric, special herbal concoction, saffron, sandal paste, flowers and garland.

A large number of sages, Bharratakas and dignitaries graced the event.