Tontadarya seer transcended religious & caste boundaries

HUBBALLI: Religious leaders generally tend to work for the welfare of their community and people of their religion, but Tontada Siddhalinga Mahaswamiji transcended those narrow boundaries. Along with Lingayats, he worked equally for people of other religions and castes so much so that in many respects he was regarded as a ‘modern Basavanna’.

Tontadarya Swamiji’s followers say he was an equal enthusiast of Basava, Buddha and Ambedkar. He inspired Ramanna Byati, an illiterate poet, to write a mythology on Ambedkar, which is a first-of-its-kind on a contemporary great soul.

“He had provided food for my family for the past 21 years,” recalls Byati, 67, who stays at Ashraya Colony in Betgeri. “He motivated me to pen puranas on Buddha, Basava and Narayan Guru among others.”

‘Taandas’ are colonies of Lambanis. After seeing their poor condition, Tontadarya Swamiji decided to adopt Doni taanda for development.

He educated their children and helped them to have land under the ‘worker is owner’ scheme. He also counselled them to drop alcoholism and distilling hooch and constituted an environmental organization, ‘Sevalal Sasyakashi’. The Lambanis of Taanda consider him a god.

Being part of ‘Bhudan Movement’, he distributed 3,000 acres to farmers, for government hospitals, veterinary hospitals and other educational and social organizations in north Karnataka.

He was criticized by Hindu fundamentalists on various occasions, including for his decision to include a Muslim in the Jatra committee of the mutt.

Pontiff laid to rest with state honours

The mortal remains of Tontada Siddhalinga Swami, who died of cardiac arrest on Saturday, were laid to rest with full state honours in Gadag on Sunday.


Before the funeral cortege was taken to the final resting place, politicians led by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, writers, activists and thousands of people from different walks of life paid tribute to the pontiff at Tontadarya Mutt in Gadag, where his body was kept for public viewing.

The obsequies were performed in presence of his successor, Siddharama Swami, who now heads Rudrakshi Mutt, Naganur-Belagavi, and Mallikarjuna Swami of Anandapura, Shivamogga.

Thousands of devotees stood in queue since morning, chanting the mantra—Shri Guru Basava Lingaya Namaha and raising slogans like ‘Tontadarya Swamiji Amar Rahe’.

Those who paid their last respect to the pontiff included Karnataka Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti, Gadag MLA HK Patil, Molakalmuru MLA B Sreeramulu, MP Shivakumar Udasi, former ministers CM Udasi, G Janardhana Reddy and SS Patil.

The chief minister said the government may set up a communal harmony award and name the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj University after Tontada Siddhalinga Mahaswamiji.