Basava (बसवा)

Bhaktamal | Basava
Real Name: Jagadguru Basaveshwara
Other Names - Basavesvara and Basavanna
Guru - Ishanya Guru
Disciples - Akka Mahadevi
Aradhya - Lord Shiva
Birth - 1131
Place of Birth - Vijayapura district, Karnataka, India
Died - 1196
Marital Status - Married
Father - Maadhavarasa
Mother - Madalambike
Spouse - Nilambike
Founder - Lingayat tradition (or Lingayatism)
Famous - Philosopher, poet, social reformer, statesmanBasava (also known as Basavanna or Basaveshwara) was a 12th-century philosopher, poet, statesman, and social reformer. He is considered one of the key figures of the Lingayat movement.

Some of the major contributions of Jagadguru Basaveshwara are as follows:
❀ Social Equality: He challenged the rigid caste system and promoted the idea that all people are equal, irrespective of birth.
❀ Basava composed hundreds of 'Vachanas'—short, impactful poems written in simple Kannada. He propagated the message 'Kayakave Kailasa' ("Work is Worship") and emphasized honest labor as a path to spiritual fulfillment.
❀ Sharing with others: He promoted 'Dasoha,' a tradition of using one's earnings to help the needy.
❀ Spiritual devotion: He advocated for direct devotion to the 'Ishtalinga,' without the need for complex rituals or intermediaries.
❀ Literary Legacy: He composed short poetic verses in Kannada known as 'Vachanas,' which continue to hold significant influence in literature and philosophy today.

He taught that every individual could connect directly with Lord Shiva without the need for any intermediary. His followers wore a personal 'Ishtalinga,' symbolizing the presence of Shiva within them. This eliminated the need for complex temple rituals and the reliance on priests for worship. Read about Sharan Basaveshwara Temple.

Basava also established the 'Anubhava Mantapa,' often regarded as one of the earliest forums for open philosophical and social discourse; people from diverse backgrounds would gather there to exchange ideas. His birth anniversary is celebrated annually as Basava Jayanti, which usually falls in April or May according to the Hindu lunar calendar.