The Monk of the White Pond or Shravanbelagola is the oldest and the most important pilgrimage centre for the Jains in the country. The town is famous for being the home to the world/’s tallest monolithic, the Gommateshwara statute. The 17-metre-high statue representing the saintly prince Bahubali was erected some time between AD 980 and 983. To reach the site of the statue, which stands on the hill, you need to climb a flight of about 700 steps carved in the steep granite slope. The path starts near the village and as you go up you can have an excellent view of the surrounding areas. Several small shrines dot the path up to the statue. The carved statue is nude and captures the tranquillity typical to the Buddhist and Jain art . Shravanbelagola becomes a hub of activity during Mahamastakabhisheka or the ritualistic head-anointing ceremony of the statue of Gommateshwara . About 200 metres to the left of the path leading to the statue lies the Bhandari basti. Believed to have been built in AD 1159, it houses 24 images of Tirthankaras in a spacious sanctuary.