Below are some photos from our trip to Sravanabelagola (Karnataka, India) last weekend. I am sorry to write that we will not make it to Delhi and Agra (to see the Taj Mahal) this weekend after all. After long complex discussions with several travel agents, the trip price just
kept going up as they added more items somehow not in the original amount; when the quote went over $2,000, we said enough. John and I are disappointed and frustrated but hope to see the Taj on a future trip. We will visit Goa instead this weekend. I will post more pictures (Belur and Halebid) as time allows.
We started before dawn from Bangalore and after a long drive, we got to Sravanabelagola before it got too hot. On our climb in socks up more than 600 granite steps to see the huge A.D. 981 Gomateshvara Jain sculpture, we saw carved inscriptions commemorating ancient pilgrimages. My favorite inscription was translated:
THIS WORN OUT INSCRIPTION IS DATED SAKA 1568 PHAI SUNA VADI 6,
CORRESPONDING TO THE 16TH MARCH 1647 A.D. TUESDAY. IT SEEMS TO
RECORD THE PILGRIMAGE OF SOME PERSONS.
The exactness of the date combined with total lack of information abut the pilgrims who carved it is funny.
| Sravanabelagola sign:
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Sravanabelagola
600 plus steps (in socks):
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Sravanabelagola
Doorway at the top:
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| Sravanabelagola
rock inscription and sign:
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Sravanabelagola
rock footprints:
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Sravanabelagola
stone dancer:
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| Sravanabelagola
small statues:
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Gomateshvara
head:
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Gomateshvara feet with
carved snakes and termites:
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| Gomateshvara
statue:
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Truck demon
on road:
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Tree roots over
road:
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Images Copyright 2007 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher
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