Mastakabhisheka

Jain festival

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July 15, 2026

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Mastakabhisheka, meaning "Head Anointment," is a significant Jain festival celebrated every 12 years. It is performed at the Digambara Jain sacred complex in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka, India. The central event is the ceremonial anointment of a colossal 57-foot-high statue of Bahubali, a revered Jain figure. This ritual involves pouring various substances, such as water and milk, over the statue in the presence of a massive audience, which can number up to a million people. Bahubali is known for his year-long meditation, after which he achieved liberation according to Jain beliefs.12

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Jainism
Festivals
…famous of all Jain festivals, Mastakabhisheka (“Head Anointment”), is performed every 12 years at the Digambara sacred complex at Shravanabelagola (“White Lake of the Ascetics”) in Karnataka state. In this ceremony the 57-foot- (17-metre-) high statue of Bahubali is anointed from above with a variety of substances (water, milk, flowers,…
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…famous of all Jain festivals, Mastakabhisheka (“Head Anointment”), is performed every 12 years at the Digambara sacred complex at Shravanabelagola (“White Lake of the Ascetics”) in Karnataka state. In this ceremony the 57-foot- (17-metre-) high statue of Bahubali is anointed from above with a variety of substances (water, milk, flowers,…
Read More