THE LEGEND OF GULLIKAYAJJI

NEXT to the Bahubali colossus in Shravanbelgola is the image of a woman called Gullikayajji. which forms an important episode in the Bahubali legend. Tradition has it that when the great military leader Chamundarai decided to bathe the Bahubali image with milk he mobilized enormous quantities of it. On a scale worthy of a great warrior. But to the amazement of everyone present on this occasion, all that milk could barely wet the body as far down as the waist. A simple, modest, woman called Gullikayajji then expressed a desire to pour her humble offering over the god's image. It is said thai her thimbleful of an offering did not simply drench the entire height of Bahubali, but went down to flood the whole basin. The moral of this miracle dawned on the mighty Chamundarai who had Gullikayajji's image carved and installed to show respect for a simple old woman, as also to mark the end of his hubris (ahankar).