The monolith stone sculpture of Lord Bahubali symbolizes renunciation, self control and subjugation of the ego as the first step towards salvation. The digambara form of Bahubali represents complete victory over earthly desires and needs, which forms the edifice for spiritual ascent towards divinity.
Victory of Human Efforts
The transportation of the gigantic monolith statue, 39ft. high, with a pedestal of 13 feet weighing about 170 tonnes, from Karkala to Dharmasthala was a tremendous challenge. A distance of 64 kilometers was covered with great public enthusiasm and participation, on a trolley with 64 Wheels, driven by 3 tractors of 250 HP over treacherously winding roads in the nineteen seventies.
A gigantic monolithic statue of Bhagwan Bahubali measuring 39 feet is also located in Dharmasthala. In fact, the statue of Bhagwan Bahubali was erected by Dr. Veerendra Heggade in the year 1982, for which act he was given the title Abhinava Chavundaraya.