CUET Preparation Today
Which of the following is not true about the Lingayats? |
On death, the devotee will be united with Vishnu. They ceremonially bury their dead. They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a 'linga'. Lingayats wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder. |
On death, the devotee will be united with Vishnu. |
The correct answer is Option (1) → On death, the devotee will be united with Vishnu. The Lingayats are followers of Shiva and believe that on death, the devotee will be united with Shiva, not Vishnu. "The twelfth century witnessed the emergence of a new movement in Karnataka, led by a Brahmana named Basavanna (1106-68) who was a minister in the court of a Kalachuri ruler. His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats (wearers of the linga). Lingayats continue to be an important community in the region to date. They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga, and men usually wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder. Those who are revered include the jangama or wandering monks. Lingayats believe that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not return to this world. Therefore they do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras. Instead, they ceremonially bury their dead." |
