About
About Lord Shri Parshvanatha Basadi (Chandragupta Basadi)
- Year of establishment
- Ganga period; precise date to be confirmed
- Established by
- Builder not precisely recorded
- Main deity
- Lord Parshvanatha, Dharanendra, Padmavati, and Ambika
- Timings
- Usually open from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
- Location
- Open map
After Bhadrabahu Muni relinquished his body, his disciple Chandragupta Muni remained here, undertook sallekhana, and followed his teacher’s path. Because Chandragupta died through sallekhana at this place, the shrine became known as Chandragupta Basadi. No precise record identifies its builder. Its interior has three sanctums containing Lord Parshvanatha, Dharanendra Yaksha, and the Yakshis Padmavati and Ambika. One or two inscriptions concerning Chandragupta have been found here. The small rectangular Basadi faces the Bhadrabahu inscription. Its padabandha base comprises jagati, upana, tripatta, kumuda, kampa, and pattika mouldings. The upper two tower sections are ornamented with inverted lotus petals. The chief attractions are the pierced stone screen and doorway of the side hall. Filled with miniature sculpture, the screen vividly depicts narrative scenes: a queen seeing the twelve auspicious objects in a dream, monks camping outside a town, and many other episodes. Their refined sculptural features belong to the Ganga period. The doorway is carved with numerous bands and guardian figures. On the left wall of the side hall, Sarvahna Yaksha stands on an elephant’s head, displaying the gesture of reassurance and holding a citron, richly adorned with ornaments. The Archaeological Survey of India, Karnataka, has listed Chandragupta Basadi as an Adarsh Smarak among the monuments of Shravanabelagola.
