Have a full day excursion to Shravanbelagola, one of the oldest and holiest Jain pilgrim centres. The place is famous for a huge monolithic Gomateshwara statue. Built sometime between AD 980 and 983, the statue has a height of around 17 metres and represents the saintly prince Bahubali after he attained enlightenment. Bahubali was the son of the first Tirthankara, who renounced the materialistic rewards of his kingdom for the sake of enlightenment. He meditated by standing motionless for a year, channelling his thoughts on the mysterious meaning of life. During this time, plants and creepers grew around him, and even climbed up his legs. The statue depicts this form of Bahubali. Reaching the statue entails a climb of nearly 700 steps, carved out of the steep granite slopes. The climb rewards one with fabulous views and there are many shrines along the way.