Chandragiri Hill, Sacred hill in Shravanabelagola, India

Chandragiri Hill, also called Chikka Betta or Indragiri, is one of the two hills at Shravanabelagola in Karnataka. It rises about 200 feet above the ground at the town's northwest entrance, and the path to the top crosses a broad expanse of granite rock strewn with large and small boulders. Jain basadis stand on the hill, among them the Chandragupta, Chavundaraya, Shantinatha and Kattale Basadis.

The site was first recorded around 300 BC when Shruthakevali Bhadrabahu and Emperor Chandragupta Maurya visited to seek spiritual growth. This early association with important figures helped establish the location as a significant pilgrimage destination for centuries to come.

The site reflects the deep connection between this place and spiritual teachers whose memory has been preserved here for centuries. You can see how different types of believers and monks are honored through memorials, showing the diversity of the community that gathered here.

Chandragiri is reached from the northwest entrance of Shravanabelagola; the climb gains about 200 feet (61 m) to a summit around 3,049 feet (929 m) above sea level. The path crosses open granite with large and small boulders, so watch your footing. The hill holds 92 of the town's 106 memorials, many of them small nishidhi stones, so allow time to look along the way.

Of the 106 memorials at Shravanabelagola, 92 stand on this smaller hill, including about 47 for monks, 9 for nuns and 5 for householders, most from the 7th and 8th centuries. A soapstone idol of Bharata, Bahubali's elder brother, is also kept here; it is broken below the thighs and closely resembles the Bahubali statue on Vindhyagiri.