Muslim man to head Lingayat Peace Centre; named as pontiff of Lingayat Math in Asuti village, Karnataka

In keeping with the secular traditions and inclusive lifestyle of villagers of North Karnataka, a village in Gadag district of the state has come together to welcome the appointment of Muslim youth as the head of the local village Lingayat Matt run Peace Centre. The Lingayat Math has also chosen a married man as its centre head, as the proposed pontiff, Diwan Sharief, is married and has three children.

Diwan Sharief will be formally anointed as the chief of the Asuti peace centre, said Murugharajendra Koraneshwar Shivayogi, pontiff of the Khajuri math. There will be a grand ceremony on February 26 at 12.30 PM, he said in a conversation with National Herald over the phone.

“Lingayat religion believes in salvation through family life. A family man can become a swami and take up social and spiritual work,” said Shivayogi and added, “our doors are open to one and all, regardless of caste or creed.”

Diwan Sharief, 33, will be formally become the head of the Lingayat Math of Muruharajndra Koraneshwara Shatidhama in Asuti village. This is linked to 350-year-old Koraneshwara Sansthan Math in Khajuri village of Kalaburagi. It has several followers from North Karnataka and Mahatashtra.

The Lingayat Math in Asuti village is more like a peace centre to carry out the social justice and harmony activities professed by Basavanna, said Khajuri Math pontiff Shivayogi, who has trained Diwan Sharief for the past three years in Lingayat religion and Basavanna’s teachings. The Asuti math, under construction on a two-acre land donated by Diwan Sharief’s father Rahimsaheb Mulla, will be completed soon.

The Peace Centre has been functioning for the past two years, Shivayogi told National Herald.

The locals see no difficulty or contradiction in embracing people from all walks of life and across religious faiths. Professing faith in Basavanna’s philosophies, the locals aver that they embrace followers from any caste or religion, as their spiritual guru dreamed of social justice and harmony and peppered his teachings with strong sentiments on these. The Lingayat Math has opened its doors to people of all religions.

Most of the villagers are followers of the Lingayat math and welcome Sharief as the head priest of the math wholeheartedly.

Already, he has been undergoing training for the past three years in different aspects of Lingayat religion and put him through the nuances of Basavanna’s teachings at the math. Sharief has also taken the Linga deeksha on November 19, 2019.

“There is nothing religious about this. Linga in our system is more for meditation than for religious purposes,” said Khajuri match pontiff.

“All devotees of the math have backed Diwan Sharief to be made pontiff,” he said.