Shravanabelagola, India - Ashok Patni, a member of India's Jain community, paid a massive 10 million rupees (222,000 dollars) for the privilege of being the first to make an offering to his god during a ceremony that occurs only once every 12 years.
Accompanied by family members, Patni poured coconut water from a silver vessel while standing on scaffolding erected behind the towering naked statue of Jain god Lord Bahubali in this town in the southern state of Karnataka.
He was among more than 25,000 members of the Jain faith who attended the first day of the Mahamastaka Abhisheka, or the 12-yearly head-anointing ceremony, to honour Lord Bahubali which is expected to attract up to three million faithful.
Devotees pour milk, coconut water and sugarcane juice as an offering over the 1,024-year-old statue of Bahubali, built by former Hindu ruler Chavundaraya.
Wearing saffron robes and a small metallic crown for the occasion, Patni described the moment as "touching."
"It is not a matter of money," Patni, director of R.K. Marbles, one of world's largest marble firms, told AFP.
"The Jain Trust is planning to build a children's hospital with the money. So it is going for a good cause. More than that I want this event to be a part of my family history.
"My children will get to know more about the Jain religion and imbibe its values," said Patni. "Personally the moment will remain etched in my memory as it was a very touching experience."
Tarun Sagar, a Jain spiritual leader, said the ceremony mirrored life.
"It symbolises the cleansing process. Whoever is in power, be it a politician or a religious leader, the process has to happen from the top then come filtering down to be effective. So the offerings are poured from the top," Sagar said.
L.S. Jeevendrakumar, secretary of the Shravanabelagola Festival Committee, said the Jain Trust would spend the money on organising free lunches for the poor, education and setting up medical facilities.
"This is one way of raising funds for welfare activities," he said. "The minimum rate for an offering is 3,400 rupees and depending on the day, time and the choice of offering, rates can vary from 50,000 rupees to upwards of 200,000 rupees. The lower end has been sold out."
Patni had to pay a premium because there was a "huge demand for the slot," he said.
Charukeerthi Bhattaraka, the main priest of Shravanabelagola, said 108 pilgrims would perform the ceremony on Wednesday's opening day followed by 504 devotees on Thursday, the second day.
"For the remaining seven days 1,008 pilgrims will be involved daily," he said.
To the beating of drums and Hindu prayers, the pilgrims with their hands raised towards the 57-foot (17.4-metre) high stone statue chant hymns as Jain priests wearing orange clothes perform religious rituals.
All roads leading to the holy shrine have been sealed off by police and pilgrims have to trek more than two kilometers (1.2 miles) to reach the hillock.
P.H. Rane, superintendent of police of the district, said more than 6,000 policemen were deployed in Sharavanabelagola town to guard the devotees and help maintain order.
Premakumari Thimmapa, spokeswoman for the organisers, said an estimated three million people would attend the nine-day event.
"Jainism is all about renunciation and it is evident the moment you see the naked statue," said Sheetal Patrawal, a healer and a pilgrim.
India has about 3.6 million Jains, whose religion arose as a protest against the rituals of Hinduism.
There are two sects of Jains -- the Digambaras, who are traditionally naked, and the Svetambaras who wear white clothes. Jain monks frequently wear white masks to cover their mouths to avoid accidentally breathing in and killing small insects.