Description10th century Bommalagutta Jain bas-reliefs and inscription, Telangana - 04.jpg
English: Bommalagutta – also spelled Bommala gutta, Bommalammagutta or Bommalamma gutta – is a hillock with Digambara Jain religion heritage in Telangana. It is to the east of Kurikial village, about 2 kilometers south of the historic Gangadhara village known for its Hindu and Jain religious history, and about 20 kilometers northwest of Karimnagar. In its history, the Bommalagutta hillock would have been difficult to climb and probably the reason why the reliefs in the open are so well preserved. In the 2010s, stone steps were carved into the hillock for religious tourism.
The site is named "Bommalu", which in Telugu means "figures". Bommalagutta means "hill with figures". In historic texts, this site is called Vrishabhadri.
The Bommalagutta site has a 10th-century poetic inscription in three languages – Sanskrit, Telugu and Kannada. It is attributed to Arekesari II from the 10th century Chalukyas of Vemulwada.
The inscription includes a genealogy of the Kannada poet Pampa, and one known for his Vikramarjunavijaya and Adipurana. The inscription is also notable for the first known use of kanda meter in Telugu verses.
A number of Jain bas reliefs are found on the rock, along with the inscription. A well preserved eight-armed Sasanadevi (Chakresvari) in seated posture with Jain Tirthankaras (Vrishabha and Vardhamana) are a highlight of these reliefs. The inscription is below the Sasanadevi relief. Her iconography here includes Garuda, which reflects the ancient link between Vaishnavism of the Hindus and the Jain tradition.
The Bommalagutta site is not built in isolation. Near it, Arikesari II built Tribhuvanatilaka, a Jain basadi. He also added a water tank (Kavitagunarnava) and the Madanavilasa gardens. Over the last 100 years, farmers in this area have found broken Jaina statue and ruins, of which the best preserved ones are now in the Karimnagar museum.
The bas-reliefs and the inscription has been painted over in red by the state officials in recent years to highlight and preserve it.
For a secondary source and more details, please see: Raju Balgoori (2013), Jaina culture in Karimnagar District, Telangana - A Study, JSTOR44158813
Photographs created by P. Madhusudan, Telangaana, India uploaded by User:Ms Sarah Welch are released as CC-0.
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