Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday, was given “Linga Deekshe” by Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharana Swami, pontiff of Sri Murugha Rajendra Mutt in Chitradurga. Gandhi, who is in Karnataka to attend the 75th birthday celebrations of former chief minister Siddaramaiah at Davanagere, made a stopover at the Murugha Mutt to meet the Lingayat seers.
During his interaction with the pontiff, who explained the Basava philosophy and the benefits of wearing the “Ishtalinga” (a miniature phallus) to relieve stress, Gandhi was keen to know if he could wear it. The pontiff gave him the “Linga Deekshe” (initiation into Lingayatism) by giving him the sacred thread with the “Ishtalinga” (symbolising Shiva Linga) to be worn around his neck.
While “Linga Dharane” is a ritual of initiating a yet-to-be-born child by his mother who wears the Ishtalinga on behalf of the child, the ritual can be performed by the religious guru to a disciple. The Istalinga, which is symbolic of the formless personal god worshipped by the followers of Basavanna, the 12th-century social reformer and philosopher.
The seer who expressed happiness over Rahul Gandhi’s interest in the Basava philosophy said Rahul also got ‘vibhuti’ (holy ash) smeared on his forehead and asked the seer to send one of his disciples to teach him the daily prayers.
KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar who had accompanied Rahul Gandhi to the Murugha Mutt while addressing the pontiffs of various Lingayat mutts assured them that Gandhi was not there to seek political support but to reassert his party’s commitment towards the religious mutts and seers who were working for the welfare of all sections of the people.
“The Gandhi family has a long association with the religious mutt and Rahul Gandhi’s visit is a continuation of that legacy. Our leader will be doing a padayatra from Kashmir to Kanyakumari as part of the ‘Bharat Jodo Abhiyan’ and he will be walking through the state for 21 days. That is the time, the pontiffs can share their concerns and interact with him to place their views,” said Shivakumar.
The Congress leader's visit to the Lingayat Mutt is seen as an attempt to build bridges with the numerically strong Lingayt community, which has been backing the BJP politically. The Congress is hoping to woo the community ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, especially in the post-Yediyurappa era in the saffron party. The influential Lingayat leader B.S. Yediyurappa stepped down as the chief minister in July 2021.
