The whole country is in a state of shock, following the announcement of Lingayats as a separate religion by the Karnataka Government. There are many who question, how can Lingayats, who worship only Lord Shiva can be classified as a separate religion.
In the 12th century, a philosopher name Basavanna, kept forward his notion of Kayakame Kailaya and was considered an untouchable, and he had instilled confidence in the minds of people that everyone is a living god, and none can prevent others from entering temples, as every human being is a living temple, with gods residing inside them, and be advising them to worship the gods living in them. Following this, many including Dalits, the oppressed, backward classes joined with Lingayats, and the Lingayats became a separate sect.
Even now, anyone who wears a Linga
in his neck can become a Lingayat, and they behave exactly like Brahmins, with
leaders like Yeddyurappa, Jagadish Shettar belonging to the Lingayat community.
It must be noted that the Lingayats play an important role in deciding the
success of any party during elections in Karnataka.
