Mahamastakabhisheka

Mahamastakabhisheka
Anointing of the Gommateshwara statue in 2006
Also calledTranslation: Head Anointing of Gommateshwara
Observed byJains
TypeReligious
SignificanceCompletion of the statue of Gommateshwara statue
CelebrationsAnointing the statue of Gommateshwara with milk, saffron, sugarcane juice, sandal paste, rice flour , flowers etc.
ObservancesPrayers, Jain rituals
DateDecided by the luni-solar Jain calendar
Frequencyevery 12 years
Gommateshwara statue during the Grand Consecration in August 2018

The Māhāmastakābhiṣeka ("Grand Consecration") refers to the abhiṣeka (anointment) of the Jain idols when held on a large scale. The most famous of such consecrations is the anointment of the Bahubali Gommateshwara statue located at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka, India. It is an important Jain festival held once every 12 years. It is an integral part of the ancient and composite Jain tradition.

The festival is held in veneration of a 17.4-metre (57 ft) high monolithic statue of the Siddha Bahubali. The anointing last took place in February 2018, and the next ceremony will take place in 2030.[1] The ceremony in 2018 is said to be the 88th in the series that commenced in the year 981 AD and was the second Mahamastakabhisheka of the 21st century. The ceremony is expected to be graced by numerous Jain ascetics. The February 2018 event was held under the leadership of Charukeerthi Bhattaraka Swamiji of Shravanabelagola from 17 to 25 February 2018.[2]

  1. ^ Correspondent, TNN (8 February 2006). "Mahamastakabhisheka of Bahubali begins today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2012. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  2. ^ Staff Reporter (13 October 2016), "Dates for Mahamastabhisheka at Shravanabelagola announced", The Hindu, retrieved 26 February 2018