Shravanabelagola Gommateshvara statue: 1,000-ton monolith with unexplained origin. The Bahubali/Gommateshvara statue at Shravanabelagola weighs approximately 1,000 tons It is described as the largest standing statue on earth The statue is perfectly symmetrical left to right, carved from granite
The Gommateshvara (Bahubali) statue at Shravanabelagola weighs approximately 80 tons and is described as the tallest free-standing monolithic statue in the world! This 57-foot figure is carved from a single block of granite and is remarkably symmetrical. You have to climb the mountain barefoot as it's sacred. It was commissioned by Chavundaraya, a minister and commander of the Western Ganga dynasty, around 983 AD, making the builder well-documented. What remains impressive is the engineering feat of sculpting, hoisting, and erecting such a massive monolith over a thousand years ago without modern technology!
Key Facts
- The Bahubali/Gommateshvara statue at Shravanabelagola weighs approximately 1,000 tons
- It is described as the largest standing statue on earth
- The statue is perfectly symmetrical left to right, carved from granite
- Located on top of a mountain that must be climbed barefoot as it is a sacred site
- No satisfactory explanation exists for who built it, how it was transported to the mountain, or how it was carved with such precision
- Some inscriptions at the base claim construction by the Ganga dynasty around 950 AD
- The video description describes a 57-foot figure carved from a single block of granite
Related site: Banabela — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Two Researchers, the Same Problem, Different Continents by The Cosmic Summit