History of Lingayatism

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The history of the Lingayat faith goes back to the Basavanna(1105 - 1167 AD) of the 12th century. It is said that Basavanna, though born a Brahmin rebelled against the rigid practices of the caste system then prevalent and eventually began expounding his own theosophy with a casteless society at its core. Soon, his philosophy began attracting large numbers of people into the fold. Saints like Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi, Channabasavanna also played pivotal roles in founding and spearheading the sect.

Basavanna lived and taught in the northern part of what is now Karnataka State. This movement found its roots during the brief rule of the southern Kalachuri dynasty in those parts of the state. Some believers believe that Basavanna is an incarnation of Nandi, Shiva's greatest devotee.

Some scholars however, maintain that Basavanna only brought about a renaissance in an already existing sect. They attribute the founding of the sect to the Panchacharyas. The Panchacharyas or the 'Five Prophets' consisted of Sri Revanaradhya or Revanasiddha, Marularadhya or Marulasidhdha, Ekoramaradhaya or Ekorama, Panditaradhya and Vishwaradhya. This theory however, does not have many takers nor is not supported by historic evidence. Nonetheless, Basavanna is widely held as having founded this sect.