Which of the following statements are true of 'Lingayats'?

A) They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga
B) Men usually wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder.
C) They do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras.
D) Believe that on death they will be reborn as human being because they worship Shiva.
E) The Lingayats disapproved post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows.

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

A, B and C

The correct answer is Option 3 - A, B and C

The correct statements are:

A) They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga
B) Men usually wear a small linga in a silver case on a loop strung over the left shoulder.
C) They do not practise funerary rites such as cremation, prescribed in the Dharmashastras.

Corrections in the two incorrect statements:

D- Lingayats believe that on death the devotee will be united with Shiva and will not return to this world.

E- The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows.

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. The Lingayats challenged the idea of caste and the “pollution” attributed to certain groups by Brahmanas. They also questioned the theory of rebirth. These won them followers amongst those who were marginalised within the Brahmanical social order. The Lingayats also encouraged certain practices disapproved in the Dharmashastras, such as post-puberty marriage and the remarriage of widows. Our understanding of the Virashaiva tradition is derived from vachanas (literally, sayings) composed in Kannada by women and men who joined the movement.