VIJAYAPURA: Ingaleshwar Vachana Shila Mantapa founder Channabasava Mahaswamy (94) of Ingaleshwar Virakta Mutt died on Thursday. The seer’s death has created a major void in the Lingayat community and in the spiritual lives of the residents of Vijayapura district, his followers said.
Siddalinga Mahaswamy of Basavanabagewadi Virakta Mutt said the final rites of the deceased will be held at 2pm on Friday at the Vachana Shila Mantapa.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the seer’s death deeply saddened him. Sugar Minister Shivanand Patil, who represents the Basavanabagewadi constituency, said the seer’s death is an irreparable loss especially to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community and the whole society in general.
Channabasava Mahaswamy took charge of the Ingaleshwar Virakta Mutt in 1948. For 32 consecutive years, he walked to different religious places, upholding a tradition of devotion that attracted many followers. The seer gained popularity and love of innumerable followers for arranging food for all disciples.
He used to ensure that the prasadam had ghee in it, as he considered it incomplete without ghee. This simple service earned him great respect and affection from devotees. He was a powerful orator and drew large crowds through his recitations of Basavadi Sharana Vachanas.
One of his contributions to the society is the Ingaleshwar Vachana Shila Mantapa, for which he performed the Bhoomi Puja in 1967. The structure houses more than 3,000 carved vachanas of Basavanna and various Sharanas. The project, funded through donations collected by the seer during his padayatras, was listed in the Guinness Book of Records and inaugurated in 2022.