What takes place during the Mastakabhisheka ceremony at Shravanabelagola?

The Mastakabhisheka, or "Head Anointment," is a significant Jain festival held every 12 years at the Digambara sacred complex in Shravanabelagola, Karnataka.1

During this ceremony, the colossal 57-foot-high statue of Bahubali—a figure revered for his deep meditation and renunciation—is ceremonially anointed from above. The image is bathed in a variety of substances, including water, milk, curd, ghee, and flowers. This event draws enormous crowds, with attendance sometimes reaching up to one million people.12