The annual “mastakabhisheka” or the anointment to the statue of Gomateshwara at Gommatagiri near Mysuru was held with religious fervour and devotion on Sunday.
Set amidst the backwaters of the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir, the 16-foot tall statue perched atop a hillock about 25 km from Mysuru, came alive in different colours and hues as milk, water mixed with turmeric and other ingredients cascaded from the head of the statue to the toe.
This was the 65th edition of the anointment witnessed by hundreds of people mostly drawn from Mysuru and surrounding regions which has a sizeable presence of Jain community.
The event is unique as the anointment to Gomateshwara here takes place every year while the anointment to the more celebrated statue at Shravanabelagola in the neighbouring Hassan district, takes places once in 12 years.
The statue is reckoned to be nearly 800 years old and attributed to the early Vijayanagar period based on its style and engravings by local historians.
