New Delhi: On Wednesday, BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Kiren Rijiju, Pralhad Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker Harivansh Narayan Singh paid a floral tribute to Guru Basaveshwara, the founder of the Lingayat tradition and a social reformer, at the Parliament grounds.

Along with chanting slogans in his honor, the Union Ministers and other leaders presented flowers to the monument of Basaveshwara. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also honored Basaveshwara on his jayanti earlier today.

“We honor the great knowledge of Jagadguru Basaveshwara on the auspicious occasion of Basava Jayanthi. In a post on X, the PM said, “His vision for society and his tireless efforts to uplift the marginalized continue to guide us.”

Along with a voiceover, he also posted a movie that was produced with various snippets of him paying tribute to the philosopher from the 12th century.

The statue of Basaveshwara was also inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in London, England, in 2015.

‘Basava,’ or Basaveshwara, also called Basavanna, was a Kannada poet, philosopher, and politician who belonged to the Shiva-centered Bhakti movement in the 12th century. As a renowned social reformer who championed the rights of women and the poor, he is also regarded as the creator of the Lingayat tradition.

Through his poetry, often referred to as Vachanaas, Basavanna raised societal consciousness. He presented the Ishtalinga necklace, which has an image of the Shiva Linga, to everyone and condemned social and gender inequality, superstitions, and rituals.

The idea of Anubhava Mantapa (hall of spiritual experience), which Basavanna, known as the advocate of equality, established, allowed men and women from all socioeconomic levels to freely debate spiritual and everyday life issues.

He opposed both human and animal sacrifices and was a fervent supporter of nonviolence. The oldest known narrative of the historical figure’s life is thought to be the Basavarajadevara Ragale, written by Kannada poet Harihara.