Lingayats fighting for their faith: All you need to know

Who are

Lingayats

?

Lingayats are followers of 12th-century social reformer

Basavanna

and his vachana (verses) philosophy. Their beliefs, practices and faith are different. Veerashaivas worship Lord Shiva, the one mentioned in Hindu mythology. However, the Shiva that Basavanna referred to in his vachanas (verses) is not the Hindu god Shiva but the ishtalinga (formless God), which people of the community wear around their neck.

Who are Veerashaivas?
Veerashaivas are a sub-sect of Lingayats and ardent followers of Lord Shiva. They preceded Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism. Veerashaivism has its roots in the

Vedas

and Agamas, and Veerashaivas do not worship any god other than Shiva; they can be found spread across Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Who is Basavanna?
Basavanna was a 12th-century social reformer. The revolution that Basavanna led came years after the Buddha. It was Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas who launched a very strong spiritual, social and religious rebellion against

Brahminical

hegemony. Basavanna had declared that “work is worship”. He gave women equal status in his movement through the vachanas (verses). In order to take the social movement closer to the people, Basavanna and all the other Sharanas voiced their concerns in simple Kannada vachanas so that even lay people could comprehend them.

Why do Lingayats want a separate identity?
Lingayats have been revolting against oppression and discrimination by the Veerashaivas, who are politically and economically a dominant group within the community. Lingayats allege that Veerashaivas are attempting to destroy the revolutionary faith founded by Basavanna by portraying Lingayatism and Veerashaivism as the same. Moreover, they feel the Veerashaivas are not giving their guru his due, as he had rejected caste hierarchy and Vedic rituals.

How many sects are there among Veerashaivas and Lingayats?
There are 92 sub-castes among Lingayats and Veerashaivas are one among them; they currently enjoy 15% reservation under 2A and 3B.