'I Bow To Jagadguru Basaveshwara': PM Modi Pays Tribute To Social Reformer On Birth Anniversary

PM Modi paid tribute to social reformer and poet Jagadguru Basaveshwara on the sacred occasion of Basava Jayanthi. He said that his party will follow the path shown by Basaveshwara.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid tribute to social reformer and poet Jagadguru Basaveshwara on the occasion of Basava Jayanthi. He said that Basaveshwara's thoughts have acted as inspiration for humanity and that the BJP will follow the path shown by him. The PM also said he was honoured to get many opportunities to pay homage to him. Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister R Ashoka, and several other leaders also paid floral tributes and garlanded the Basavanna statue at Vidhana Soudha in the state capital.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Today, on the sacred occasion of Basava Jayanthi, I bow to Jagadguru Basaveshwara, whose thoughts and ideals give us the inspiration to serve humanity. He rightly emphasised on empowering the downtrodden and building a strong and prosperous society.”

He also responded to a tweet thread by Member of Parliament, Shivkumar Udasi on the unveiling of the Statue of Jagadguru Basaveshwara in London in November 2015. Modi said, “We will always follow the path shown by Jagadguru Basaveshwara. I am honoured to have got many opportunities to pay homage to him.”

Basavanna is considered one of the most respected saints by the Lingayat community in the state. He was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, and Kannada poet during the period of the Shiva-focused Bhakti movement. Considered to be one of the many great social reformers, Basavanna stood for the underprivileged classes and women's rights.

He spread social awareness through his poetry called Vachanaas. The renowned reformer rejected all kinds of gender and social discrimination, superstitions, and rituals. He brought the Ishtalinga necklace which had an image of the Shiva Linga to everyone.

Basavanna was known for championing equality and also introduced the Anubhava Mantapa concept to people. It means a hall of spiritual experience in which women and men from all backgrounds of socio-economic conditions were permitted to take part in discussions related to spirituality and questions of life with no restraints.