Which of the following statement is NOT true about the followers of Basavanna?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → They practice funerary rites such as cremation.
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.
Option (1) Basavanna’s followers were known as Virashaivas or Lingayats. — Correct statement. His followers were known as Virashaivas (heroes of Shiva) or Lingayats (wearers of the linga).
Option (2) They practice funerary rites such as cremation. — Incorrect statement. They do not cremate their dead.
Option (3) They worship Shiva in his manifestation as a linga. — Correct statement. Lingayats worship Shiva as a linga, and men usually wear a small linga in a silver case.
Option (4) They ceremonially bury their dead. — Correct statement. Instead of cremation, they ceremonially bury their dead.
NCERT (2026-27): “3. The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka … 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.…” |