Hassan: A musical parade held around the Vindhyagiri Hill on the eve of the Mahamastakbahisheka of the towering statue of Bahubali atop it, has won the “Golden Book of World Records” for being the largest of its kind.
Organised by the SDJMIMC Trust under the guidance of Jain Mutt pontiff, Charukeerthy Bhattaraka Swamiji, the certificate from the Golden Book of World Records says the event was the largest musical parade of its kind in the world with a record number of participants, including 20,000 devotees and over a 100 musicians playing various instruments.
The parade, which covered about 6 kms around the hill , saw folklore and Yakshagana artistes performing along the route, gold and silver chariots of the Shravanabelagola Jain Mutt trundling along, a palanquin procession of the idols of the 24 Theertankaras, and over a 100 cultural troupes, and tableaux, besides hundreds of religious flags and antique footwear of Jain monks on display.
Head of the Mahamastakabhisheka sub-committee for publicity, Mr, Rajendra Kumar, when contacted, said the musical parade was a crowd puller. It was clearly a fitting curtain raiser for the Mahamastakbahisheka of the statue of Bahubali, which comes around every 12 years and is awaited with anticipation and much religious fervor by Jains around the country.
