BENGALURU, Aug 5: A 22-year-old Lingayat seer, Nijalinga Swamy, was forced to relinquish his position at a mutt in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district today after devotees discovered his former identity as a Muslim, leading to protests and unrest among the local community.
The seer, who had headed the year-old Gurumalleshwara Shakha mutt in Gundlupet taluk for just six weeks, had taken basava deeksha at the age of 17. Born as Mohammed Nisar in Yadgir district, he converted to the Lingayat faith driven by his deep admiration for 12th-century social reformer Basavanna.
The controversy erupted last week when a staff member accessed Swamy’s old mobile phone and came across his Aadhaar card, revealing his birth name and religion. Photos of him wearing a skullcap and holding a beer bottle further intensified the backlash, despite his clarification that such images were from before his religious initiation.
Speaking to reporters, Nijalinga Swamy said, “I embraced Basavanna’s teachings out of personal conviction. I have not committed any wrongdoing after my deeksha and continue to follow a spiritual path.”
Following pressure from devotees, Swamy stepped down from his post. He has since found refuge in a Lingayat mutt in Rane Bennur, Haveri district, and vowed to continue spreading Basavanna’s ideology despite the criticism.
Swamy also alleged that false accusations regarding financial misappropriation were now being levelled against him to further discredit his spiritual commitment.
Notably, this is not the first such case; in 2020, Diwan Sharief Rahimsab Mulla, a former autorickshaw driver, became the fourth Muslim to head a Lingayat mutt in 300 years.
Some members of the Lingayat community and spiritual leaders have extended support to Nijalinga Swamy, reiterating that Basavanna’s teachings transcend caste and religious barriers.
(UNI)
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