Bommalagutta

Bommalagutta — "Hill of Figures" in Telugu — is a Jain site about 6 km southwest of Ramadugu, near Kurikyala village in Karimnagar district. The hill carries rock-cut reliefs, carved Tirthankara figures, and small cave shrines dating back at least to the 10th century. The centrepiece is a carving of Chakreshvari with eight arms, flanked by two Bahubali images; eight more Tirthankaras are carved into the hillock at various points. A small temple, the Tribhuvanatilaka Basadi, houses images of Rishabhanatha and Mahavira.

The site is connected to the Vemulavada Chalukya dynasty, which controlled this part of the Deccan in the early medieval period. It is also historically close to Kulpakji, one of the most important Jain pilgrimage centres in South India, about 3 km away. Visiting both together makes sense if you have a vehicle. Some artefacts from Bommalagutta are preserved at the Karimnagar museum.

things to do sight
A story
An inscription at the site, dated to 945 CE and composed in Kannada, Telugu, and Sanskrit, records that Jinavallabha — brother of the Kannada literary giant Adikavi Pampa — installed three Tirthankara images here. The stone was later cited as evidence in the campaign to win classical language status for Telugu.