Bahubali rediscovered

Mandya: Yes, once again Bahubali comes alive! But, this time not at Shravanabelagola. Recently, while digging the earth for laying the foundation of a new building at Kambadahalli in Nagamangala taluk of Mandya district, a beautiful image of Bahubali surfaced.

The newly discovered monolithic statue of about five feet, is as fresh as it was chiselled. Unfortunately, both the fore-arms are broken. Carved in light bluish soft stone, the image dates back to ninth century. The iconographic nuances add to its rarity and make it peerless and fabulous. The Madhavi creeper entwining the feet has grown up to the thighs and has not reached the arms.

The hair on Bahubali’s head is neatly combed backwards and the curls are dropping on his back and shoulders. The style of his hairlocks reminds one of Bahubali’s image in the Metropolitan Museum, New York. Also of the relief of Bahubali in the caves of Badami, dating back to late sixth century.

Thus the compositional merit of this newly discovered Bahubali image, once more, unveils the glorious tradition of Bahubali sculptures in Karnataka which reached its peak on the crest of Vindhyagiri Hills at Shravanabelagola, where stands the 58.8 ft monolithic statue of Gommata, commissioned and consecrated by Chavunda Raya in CE 981.