The Lingayat movement owes its origin to

Q. The Lingayat movement owes its origin to

(a) Vidyaranya

(b) Purandharadasa

(c) Appar

(d) Basava

Ans: (d) Basava

Explanation: The Lingayat movement owes its origin to Basava, also known as Basavanna or Basaveshwara. Basava was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, and social reformer from the region of Karnataka, India. He is considered the founding saint of the Lingayat tradition.

Basava rejected the hierarchical caste system prevalent in society and advocated for social equality, religious reform, and the worship of a personal formless deity, known as Ishtalinga. He emphasized the importance of individual devotion and rejected the need for elaborate rituals and external symbols of religious identity.

Basava’s teachings and reforms gained significant popularity and led to the development of a distinct socio-religious movement known as Lingayatism or Lingayat dharma. The Lingayat movement challenged the prevailing social norms and hierarchies and emphasized personal spiritual experience and social equality.