Seen as synonymous in public discussions until recent times, the Veerashaivas and Lingayats found formal self-organisation in the early 20th century as the All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Viewing themselves as Hindus, this body asked, in subsequent decades, that Veerashaivism is considered a separate religion.&nbsp;

As the clamour for separate religious identity grows, the differences between the Lingayats and Veershaivas are becoming clearer. There are distinct differences between their practices, faith, meaning, culture and way of life.

Who are Lingayats

Though Lingayats worship Shiva, they say the concept of &lsquo;Ishta Linga&rsquo; (personal god) and rules of conduct prescribed by Basaveshwara cannot be equated to the Hindu way of life. On the other hand, those opposed to the re-categorisation, including sections in the community, say the rebellion was reformist, like the Bhakti movement, and not aimed at breaking away from the Hindu fold.

Who are Veerashaivas&nbsp;

Veerashaivas are worshippers of Lord Shiva. They precede Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism. Veerashaivas do not worship any God other than Shiva and can be found spread across India. Pashupatha Shaiva, Soma Shaiva, Dakshina Shaiva, Kala Mukha Shaiva, Lakula Shaiva, Yavala Shaiva, Samanya Shaiva, Mishra Shaiva, Shuddha Shaiva, Adi Shaiva, Anu Shaiva, Avantara Shaiva are some of the sects within Shaivism. Veerashaiva is one such sect and people from the community are found largely in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Those who consume non-vegetarian food call themselves Kshatriya Shaiva while those who are vegetarians call themselves Brahmana Shaiva. All sects of the Veerashaiva follow the &#39;Pancha Peeta&#39;, five mutts. Kashi mutt, Rameshwaram Mutt, Ujjaini Mutt, Rambhapura Mutt and Srishaila Mutt are the core holy places for the community.

While Lingayats argue that their religious practices are not similar to Veerashaivas or Hindus, the Veerashaiva community has called Lingayatism a part of Hindutva.

Seen as synonymous in public discussions until recent times, the Veerashaivas and Lingayats found formal self-organisation in the early 20th century as the All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Viewing themselves as Hindus, this body asked, in subsequent decades, that Veerashaivism is considered a separate religion. As the clamour for separate religious identity grows, the differences between the Lingayats and Veershaivas are becoming clearer. There are distinct differences between their practices, faith, meaning, culture and way of life. Who are Lingayats Though Lingayats worship Shiva, they say the concept of ‘Ishta Linga’ (personal god) and rules of conduct prescribed by Basaveshwara cannot be equated to the Hindu way of life. On the other hand, those opposed to the re-categorisation, including sections in the community, say the rebellion was reformist, like the Bhakti movement, and not aimed at breaking away from the Hindu fold. Who are Veerashaivas Veerashaivas are worshippers of Lord Shiva. They precede Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism. Veerashaivas do not worship any God other than Shiva and can be found spread across India. Pashupatha Shaiva, Soma Shaiva, Dakshina Shaiva, Kala Mukha Shaiva, Lakula Shaiva, Yavala Shaiva, Samanya Shaiva, Mishra Shaiva, Shuddha Shaiva, Adi Shaiva, Anu Shaiva, Avantara Shaiva are some of the sects within Shaivism. Veerashaiva is one such sect and people from the community are found largely in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Those who consume non-vegetarian food call themselves Kshatriya Shaiva while those who are vegetarians call themselves Brahmana Shaiva. All sects of the Veerashaiva follow the 'Pancha Peeta', five mutts. Kashi mutt, Rameshwaram Mutt, Ujjaini Mutt, Rambhapura Mutt and Srishaila Mutt are the core holy places for the community.

Difference between Veerashaivas and Lingayats

Amid the Lingayat storm brewing in Karnataka, the BJP is trying to corner the ruling Congress government for clearing separate religion status for the community. 
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But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013.&nbsp;

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The letter, signed by BS Yeddyurappa, asking for a separate Lingayat religion. (WION Web Team)
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The demand was sent to the UPA government at the Centre by many Karnataka leaders cutting across party lines, including BS Yeddyurappa, the tallest BJP leader in the state who belongs to the Lingayat community. 
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Yeddyurappa had then broken away from the BJP to form its own party. 
&nbsp; 
However, Union minister Ananth Kumar said the Congress government had rejected the demand made in 2013. &quot;Several demands were made in the past and even the Maharashtra government had also sought a separate religion tag for Veerashiva-Lingayat sect. But the then UPA government in 2013 rejected it,&quot; the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters said. 
&nbsp; 
Attacking the Siddaramaiah government, Kumar said, &quot;Siddaramaiah is adopting Britisher Robert Clive&#39;s divide and rule strategy ahead of assembly polls. The Congress is doing vote-bank politics. This will not benefit them. It will boomerang.&quot; 
&nbsp; 
Another Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal claimed that the Congress government in the state has given separate religion status to &quot;stop Yeddyurappa from becoming the chief minister&quot;. 
&nbsp; 
The Karnataka Cabinet recently decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community. 
&nbsp; 
The decision is expected to have an impact on the upcoming elections as the Lingayat community accounts for 17 per cent of the state&#39;s population.

Both Lingayats and Veerashivas are devotees of Lord Shiva, but there are sections within each community that believe they belong to a different religion.&nbsp;

The Lingayat sect follows the 12th-century poet and social reformer Basavanna or Basava, who defied the caste system and Vedic rituals in Hinduism.

But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013.

Amid the Lingayat storm brewing in Karnataka, the BJP is trying to corner the ruling Congress government for clearing separate religion status for the community. But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013. The letter, signed by BS Yeddyurappa, asking for a separate Lingayat religion. (WION Web Team) × The demand was sent to the UPA government at the Centre by many Karnataka leaders cutting across party lines, including BS Yeddyurappa, the tallest BJP leader in the state who belongs to the Lingayat community. Yeddyurappa had then broken away from the BJP to form its own party. However, Union minister Ananth Kumar said the Congress government had rejected the demand made in 2013. "Several demands were made in the past and even the Maharashtra government had also sought a separate religion tag for Veerashiva-Lingayat sect. But the then UPA government in 2013 rejected it," the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters said. Attacking the Siddaramaiah government, Kumar said, "Siddaramaiah is adopting Britisher Robert Clive's divide and rule strategy ahead of assembly polls. The Congress is doing vote-bank politics. This will not benefit them. It will boomerang." Another Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal claimed that the Congress government in the state has given separate religion status to "stop Yeddyurappa from becoming the chief minister". The Karnataka Cabinet recently decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community. The decision is expected to have an impact on the upcoming elections as the Lingayat community accounts for 17 per cent of the state's population. Both Lingayats and Veerashivas are devotees of Lord Shiva, but there are sections within each community that believe they belong to a different religion. The Lingayat sect follows the 12th-century poet and social reformer Basavanna or Basava, who defied the caste system and Vedic rituals in Hinduism.

Role reversal: In the past the UPA did not support Lingayat demand, BJP's Yeddyurappa did

The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Government on Monday accepted the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee to form a separate religion status of the Lingayat&nbsp;community.

The decision came just months before the state assembly elections. Now the proposal will be sent to the Centre for the final approval.&nbsp;

A seven-member&nbsp;committee headed by Nagamohan Das retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that &quot;Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority.&quot;

Who are Lingayats?

The Lingayats also known as the Veerashaiva community owes loyalty to the social reform movement of the 12th century initiated by Basaveshwara, a saint, has a considerable population in the northern part of the Karnataka. They rebelled against established Hindu traditions by defying the caste system and vedic rituals.

In their bid for a separate religion status, Lingayats were eager to dissociate themselves from Veerashaivas, a Shaivite religious tradition, whose followers adhere to the vedas. Lingayats, on the contrary, do not believe in rituals or vedas.

At the core of their ideology and belief systems, the Lingayats reject the ancient Hindu texts and vedas, the caste system and the belief in karma and reincarnation. In the Lingayat tradition, worship revolves bhakti or devotion and is centred on god Shiva.&nbsp;

Basavanna/Basaveshwara

The revolution that Basavanna led came years after the Buddha. It was Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas who launched a very strong spiritual, social and religious rebellion against Brahminical hegemony. Basavanna had declared that &ldquo;work is worship&rdquo;. He gave women equal status in his movement through the vachanas (verses).

There are two sets of followers of Basavanna, who attracted people from both upper and lower castes. One group of his followers, called Veerashaivas, who consider Basavanna to be a later-day saint belonging to the Shaiva tradition, continued to follow many of the practices he had rejected, said historian S Shettar.

Veerashaivas

Veerashaivas are a sub-sect of Lingayats and ardent followers of Lord Shiva. They preceded Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism and was spread by his followers among the Sharanas.

How did it all begin?

Lingayats have been demanding status of a separate religion for a long time. The issue came at the centrestage last year when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised to consider the demand. One part of the community demands the minority status for both Veerashaiva and Lingayats considering them the same, while another wants it only for the Lingayats as it considers Veershaivas to be Hindus.&nbsp;

Reports quoted SM Jamdaar, who spearheaded the Lingayat movement as saying that this demand is not new and has been a long-standing issue which goes back to 1942 which surfaced again in 2017 after Siddaramaiah to look into the issue.&nbsp;

Jamdaar says that for over 700 years, Lingayats were a separate religion and the current agitation is simply seeking to restore the community to its former status.

Impact on elections

The Lingayats constitute 17% of Karnataka&#39;s population and weild strong influence in 110 constituencies, they were orignally supporters of the Congress party - 15% of the Lingayat electorate is estimated&nbsp;to have&nbsp;voted for the&nbsp;Congress in 2013. Eight of the state&rsquo;s 22 chief ministers belonged to this sect, including the BJP&rsquo;s current chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa.

Many prominent personalities, including journalist Gauri Lankesh and Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi, who were both shot dead, were Lingayats.

Siddaramaiah hopes for electoral gains fom this decision and has made many overtures to it, including making it mandatory to have portraits of Basavanna in government offices and naming the women&rsquo;s university in the state after Akka Mahadevi, a philosopher of the Lingayat tradition.

&nbsp;

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Rahul visited the Gavisiddeswara matha of the Lingayat community in Koppal, Karnataka. (PTI)
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The latest move appears to be a bid by Congress to split BJP&rsquo;s Lingayat vote base. The Congress hopes the move will get them support from the Lingayat community.

The BJP has shown hesitation to the decision. According to the party declaring Lingayats as a religious minority would divaricate the society&nbsp;and introduce more loopholes in the socio-economic front. 
 
BJP leaders are of the view that the Siddaramaiah government&#39;s decision may not translate into votes for the Congress. Though the decision may have pleased the Lingayats, however its benefits will take time to reach the community, according to the BJP. 
 
The BJP has accused the Karnataka CM of &quot;playing with fire&quot; for vote bank politics.

Meanwhile, the Lingayat ministers in the state government have planned a huge rally in Bengaluru where they plan to felicitate chief minister Siddaramaiah for according the community religious minority status.

The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Government on Monday accepted the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee to form a separate religion status of the Lingayats community

The Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Government on Monday accepted the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee to form a separate religion status of the Lingayat community. The decision came just months before the state assembly elections. Now the proposal will be sent to the Centre for the final approval. A seven-member committee headed by Nagamohan Das retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority." Who are Lingayats? The Lingayats also known as the Veerashaiva community owes loyalty to the social reform movement of the 12th century initiated by Basaveshwara, a saint, has a considerable population in the northern part of the Karnataka. They rebelled against established Hindu traditions by defying the caste system and vedic rituals. In their bid for a separate religion status, Lingayats were eager to dissociate themselves from Veerashaivas, a Shaivite religious tradition, whose followers adhere to the vedas. Lingayats, on the contrary, do not believe in rituals or vedas. At the core of their ideology and belief systems, the Lingayats reject the ancient Hindu texts and vedas, the caste system and the belief in karma and reincarnation. In the Lingayat tradition, worship revolves bhakti or devotion and is centred on god Shiva. Basavanna/Basaveshwara The revolution that Basavanna led came years after the Buddha. It was Basavanna and his contemporary Sharanas who launched a very strong spiritual, social and religious rebellion against Brahminical hegemony. Basavanna had declared that “work is worship”. He gave women equal status in his movement through the vachanas (verses). There are two sets of followers of Basavanna, who attracted people from both upper and lower castes. One group of his followers, called Veerashaivas, who consider Basavanna to be a later-day saint belonging to the Shaiva tradition, continued to follow many of the practices he had rejected, said historian S Shettar. Veerashaivas Veerashaivas are a sub-sect of Lingayats and ardent followers of Lord Shiva. They preceded Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism and was spread by his followers among the Sharanas. How did it all begin? Lingayats have been demanding status of a separate religion for a long time. The issue came at the centrestage last year when Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised to consider the demand. One part of the community demands the minority status for both Veerashaiva and Lingayats considering them the same, while another wants it only for the Lingayats as it considers Veershaivas to be Hindus. Reports quoted SM Jamdaar, who spearheaded the Lingayat movement as saying that this demand is not new and has been a long-standing issue which goes back to 1942 which surfaced again in 2017 after Siddaramaiah to look into the issue. Jamdaar says that for over 700 years, Lingayats were a separate religion and the current agitation is simply seeking to restore the community to its former status. Impact on elections The Lingayats constitute 17% of Karnataka's population and weild strong influence in 110 constituencies, they were orignally supporters of the Congress party - 15% of the Lingayat electorate is estimated to have voted for the Congress in 2013. Eight of the state’s 22 chief ministers belonged to this sect, including the BJP’s current chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa. Many prominent personalities, including journalist Gauri Lankesh and Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi, who were both shot dead, were Lingayats. Siddaramaiah hopes for electoral gains fom this decision and has made many overtures to it, including making it mandatory to have portraits of Basavanna in government offices and naming the women’s university in the state after Akka Mahadevi, a philosopher of the Lingayat tradition. Rahul visited the Gavisiddeswara matha of the Lingayat community in Koppal, Karnataka. (PTI) × The latest move appears to be a bid by Congress to split BJP’s Lingayat vote base. The Congress hopes the move will get them support from the Lingayat community. The BJP has shown hesitation to the decision. According to the party declaring Lingayats as a religious minority would divaricate the society and introduce more loopholes in the socio-economic front. BJP leaders are of the view that the Siddaramaiah government's decision may not translate into votes for the Congress. Though the decision may have pleased the Lingayats, however its benefits will take time to reach the community, according to the BJP. The BJP has accused the Karnataka CM of "playing with fire" for vote bank politics. Meanwhile, the Lingayat ministers in the state government have planned a huge rally in Bengaluru where they plan to felicitate chief minister Siddaramaiah for according the community religious minority status.

Who are Lingayats and how will they impact Karnataka assembly elections?

In a landmark judgement, Karnataka government has accepted Nagbhushan committee&#39;s suggestion to identify a separate religion for the Lingayat community. The cabinet has given the recommendation a green signal and has decided to write to the Centre to grant religious minority status to the Lingayats.&nbsp;

The Siddaramaiah government decided the same after a lengthy cabinet meeting.&nbsp;

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Karnataka Govt has accepted suggestions of Nagbhushan committee; cabinet has given nod to the recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community <a href="https://t.co/Q6cddBQ7ix">pic.twitter.com/Q6cddBQ7ix</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975666721443938304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Karnataka&#39;s Lingayat community has long pressed for a separate religion tag and minority status. The community accounts for nearly 17 per cent of Karnataka&#39;s population and includes two major factions -- Veerashaivas and Lingayats who follow a 12th century saint called Basavanna.

The move is believed to have a bearing on the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Karnataka's Lingayat community has long pressed for a separate religion tag and minority status

In a landmark judgement, Karnataka government has accepted Nagbhushan committee's suggestion to identify a separate religion for the Lingayat community. The cabinet has given the recommendation a green signal and has decided to write to the Centre to grant religious minority status to the Lingayats. The Siddaramaiah government decided the same after a lengthy cabinet meeting. Karnataka Govt has accepted suggestions of Nagbhushan committee; cabinet has given nod to the recommendation of separate religion for Lingayat community pic.twitter.com/Q6cddBQ7ix — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2018 × Karnataka's Lingayat community has long pressed for a separate religion tag and minority status. The community accounts for nearly 17 per cent of Karnataka's population and includes two major factions -- Veerashaivas and Lingayats who follow a 12th century saint called Basavanna. The move is believed to have a bearing on the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections.

Karnataka government gives nod to separate religion for Lingayats

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