- Aratipura, the ancient site which belongs to 9-14th century had been one of the most important Jain religious complexes in Karnataka.
- It is also called as Tipruru and surrounded by the Kanakagiri hills.
- The artefacts belongs to the Ganga and Hoyasala dynasties that ruled this region between 9th and 14th century.
- The script and language of the inscriptions found in the site were in the Kannada of the Hoysala period.
- The site is known for the sculpture of Parsvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara in the Jain pantheon, standing on a lotus pedestal under the hood of a snake.
- There is also a 2.2-metre sculpture of Bahubali stands on Shravana Betta that predates the one at Sravanabelagola.
- The monolithic statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola was carved from a single block of granite.
- It was built by the Ganga Dynasty Minister Chavundaraya in 10thCentury and it is 17 m tall, one of the largest free-standing statues in the world.
Source; The Hindu
Link ;
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/in-an-antique-land/article17449202.ece