Bahubali a much revered figure among Jains was the son of Rishabhanatha, the first tirthankara of Jainism and younger brother of Bharata Chakravartin. He is said to have meditated motionless for one year in a standing posture (kayotsarga) and that during this time, climbing plants grew around his legs. After his year of meditation, Bahubali is said to have attained omniscience (Kevala Jnana). According to Jain texts, Bahubali's soul was liberated from the cycle of births and deaths (moksha ) at Mount Kailash. He is revered as a liberated soul (Siddha) by the Jains.

Bahubali is also called Gommatesha because of the Gommateshwara statue dedicated to him. The statue was built by the Ganga dynasty minister and commander Chavundaraya; it is a 57-foot (17 m) monolith (statue carved from a single piece of rock) situated above a hill in Shravanabelagola in Hassan district, Karnataka state, India. It was built in around 981 A.D. and is one of the largest free-standing statues in the world.