PARAKUNNATH SREE VETTAKKORUMAKAN PAYYAN KSHETHRAM (TEMPLE), AROLI, KANNUR, KERALA: The 8ft Saasivekalu Ganesha statue is made out of a single rock around 1500AD.

Friday 2 February 2018

The 8ft Saasivekalu Ganesha statue is made out of a single rock around 1500AD.

The 8ft Saasivekalu Ganesha statue is made out of a single rock around 1500AD. Did you notice the snake tied around his stomach? Here's the story behind it: According to the Hindu scriptures, Lord Ganesha is known for his love for food. Once Ganesha consumed a lot of food, due to which his stomach was on the verge of bursting. Finding no other option to stop his stomach from exploding, Ganesha caught hold of a snake and tied it around his stomach in order to prevent it from bursting open.
This statue is at Hampi. Hampi is a village and temple town recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, in northern Karnataka, India. It is located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, Hampi continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple and several other monuments belonging to the old city.

Emperor Ashoka's Rock Edicts in Nittur & Udegolan (both in Bellary district) suggest that this region was part of the Maurya Empire during the 3rd century BC. A Brahmi inscription and a terracotta seal dating to the II century CE were also recovered from the excavation site. The site is significant historically and architecturally. The landscape abounds with large stones which have been used to make statues of Jaina deities. The Archaeological Survey of India continues to conduct excavations in the area. Hampi has various notable Hindu temples with some vedanta theology inside the temples, some of which are still active places of worship.