This blog is in the series of blogs on – against – the caste system of India. I wish some day we would value people on their

  • Capabilities and not Caste
  • Action and not Ancestry
  • Character and not on Color of skin

That we all connected there is no two (non-duality) no big vs small no higher vs lower. So let us first understand what is one of the challenges before we reach there.

First thing first – I have a special love affair for Lingayats (a community in India), let me put a disclaimer – “I am a born Lingayat… (well as per the current Liangayat followers …not practicing Lingayat though.”) It might have been an accident that I am born in this community, but it is all logic and belief that I am beyond the so call Lingayatism.

A brief history of Lingayatism. It was found (or resurrected) by Basaveshwara in Karanataka. When Basav Anna founded the basic premise was “no-caste system” or in larger perspective – All Humans Are Born Equal. The hypocrisy of this seemingly one of the youngest religion is – it has more than 16-17 different sub-castes. Check Wiki for more details and before someone reads about the Hypocrisy of Lingayats and deletes the reference here is an image from Wiki –

Fight against caste systemlingayatism-wiki

 

 

 

 

So Basava fought caste system. It all started by the story of marriage of a Brahmin and an untouchables. Now look at the so call matrimonial sites of Lingayats (image thumbnail below, click to enlarge). Basava must be crying in his grave for such blatant contempt of his fight. Poor fellow fought his fight for eqaility and against caste system (apparently by calling a marriage among Brahmin & untouchable) and here Lingayats have first division as Lingayats and Jangams. Within those two factions they have more division.

When people ask “What Lingayat are you?” I feel Basava’s fight has gone in vain. No meaning of him having a community which has completely shattered its own foundation of existence. Now read Wiki article on Lingayatism as well you would understand what actually I mean and what is practiced.

 

Image sources – Wikipedia, www.lingayatmarriage.net and http://www.lingayathmatrimony.com/

Lingayat Matrimonial site imagesLingayat Marriage  2Lingayat Marriage  4Lingayat Marriage  3 Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 1 Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 2

Lingayat Matrimony - Bharat Matrimony 3

Related blogs

Cast(e)ing doubts – Narendra Dabholkar

Cast(e)ing doubt – What’s your (last) name?

Cast(e)ing doubt –  everyone’s tears are salty

We the societies


KRD Pravin

Here I am supposed to write about myself. Professionally, I am quite serious and a workaholic; personally I am an individual who enjoys what he does and takes life as it comes. I am passionate about my work and actions and empathetically careful, attached and committed to them. All this makes me a fierce competitive professional and yet a compassionate soul, the Yin and the Yang together. Balancing is the art to be practiced using the middle path. From - http://business2buddha.com/about/

3 Comments

Is religion another organized crime? | Business to the Buddha · September 29, 2013 at 10:28 am

[…] achieving the feat – enlightenment. As Indian political and – to fair extent – social structure […]

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Adviti and perspective change - Business to the Buddha · October 7, 2018 at 3:47 pm

[…] heard in conservative families. I don’t know how much is it followed now. So, when I badgered Lingayat community for disrespectful behavior on marriage issues, today I try to look at another […]

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