from Daijiworld's special correspondent
Mangalore, Feb 9: Mahamastakabhisheka which takes place only once in 12 years is a kind of religious ceremony that everyone wants to be part of. The ceremony evokes such feelings that even the most busy person wants to take a day off and attend the ceremony and invoke God's blessings.
The Mahamastakabhisheka is an important Jain festival held in the town of Shravanabelagola near Hassan. The festival is held in veneration of a mammoth 18-metre high statue of the Bhagwan (or Saint) Gomateshwara Bahubali. The anointing last took place on December 19, 1993 usually the auspicious occasion coincides once in 12 years.
As the Mahamastakabhisheka begins, devotees carrying 1008 specially prepared vessels sprinkle consecrated water onto the participants. The statue is then bathed and anointed with libations such as milk, sugarcane juice, and saffron paste, and sprinkled with powders of sandalwood, turmeric, and vermilion. Offerings are made of petals, gold and silver coins, and precious stones. Most recently, the ceremony's finale has included an enormous shower of flowers from a waiting helicopter.
But profession is above emotions and sentiments. So while several lacs of people participate in this holy ritual, other multitudes have to be content either by reading the reports or by watching the live telecast in their homes.
But this year there is good news for all those who cannot participate in Mahamastakabhisheka. Those who are pre-occupied with their work and are not able to attend Mahamastakabhisheka personally have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform puja by offering abhisheka to Bhagwan Bahubali. So there is nothing to get worried and lose heart. All they need to have is a computer with Internet connection.
Devotees have to thank the Mysore Tourism Committee for giving an opportunity to perform puja online. Interested devotees could log on to www.mysoretourism.org and select the picture of Bahubali. When the picture appears along with a line 'virtual Mahamastakabhisheka', a series of pujas that are on offer online will appear on the computer screen.
One can offer flower, kum-kum, tender coconut, coconut, turmeric, milk and kashaya pujas online to Bhagwan Bahubali. The service will also let one to virtually fly around the Lord in an animated helicopter ride to shower flowers.
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