Hinduism in Karnataka

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Kannada Hindus
ಕನ್ನಡ ಹಿಂದೂಗಳು
Kannaḍa hindūgaḷu
2011)
84% of the total population
Languages
Sacred
Old Kannada and Sanskrit
Majority
Others
  • Konkani
    and others

ascetics. The Bhakti movement, of Hindu origin, is devoted to the worship of Shiva and Vishnu
; it had a telling impact on the sociocultural ethos of Karnataka from the 12th century onwards.

In current times, Hinduism has a significant role in the Karnataka politics and society and plays an important role in day-to-day life of the people.

Movements

Dvaita
philosophy

Karnataka was the birthplace of several notable Hindu movements.

Vedic learning.[3]

Lingayatism

Main article: Lingayatism

Hinduism is the largest religion in Karnataka, followed by

Jain community's practice of Jainism became ineffectual as a religious practice in the state.[9]
Ligayats hold a considerable sway in Karnataka to this day.

Bhakti

Main article: Bhakti movement
Kanakadasa one of the famous Haridasas of the Bhakthi movement
Kanakadasa one of the famous Haridasas of the Bhakthi movement

Under the

linga around their neck signifying their faith. The Shaiva Siddhanta, which included tantric practices also formed the base line for the Lingayat religion.[12] But their religious ethos was not to the liking of other Hindu groups.[10]

Allama Prabhu a poet saint in the 12th century of the Lingayat sect, was a contemporary of Basava. Allama was instrumental in prompting bhakti cult through his poems in Kannada language among Shiva worshipers. This was an enlightened way of worship in which caste distinctions were discarded. It was believed that Allama was incarnate of Lord Shiva and hence he was given the epithet 'Prabhu' which was suffixed to his name. His poems were totally devotional and expressed in his status of achieving detachment from rituals.[14]

Adichunchanagiri Math.

Lakula, Kalamukha, and Kapalikas

In Karnataka before the Lingayats' started their bhakthi movement, there was the Kalamukha sect who were worshipers of Shiva. They practiced the movement from the 11th century. They were also opposed to asceticism like the Lingayats.[12] The Kalamukha were a sub-sect of the Lakula Sect, who had lot of influence over the people. They collected funds for their temples and mathas (monastic centers).[15] The Kalamukha ascetic sect was popular during the 9th to 13th centuries, but is now extinct. They painted their faces with a black streak and were contemporary to another sect known as Kapalikas. Their religious dogmas are not clear except for some inscriptions which attest to their strong influence in Karnataka.[16]

Haridasas

Another bhakthi movement established in the 13th century was of Haridasas, a devotional group of saints who formed the group under the same name, and who were

Vadiraja, Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Vasudeva Dasa and Gopala Dasa; many of them became heads of the religious maths founded by Madhva and his disciples. Haridasas are still popular and the songs scripted by many of the earlier Haridasas are very popular.[17]

Language

Talagunda Pillar inscription dates to the 5th century.

Karnataka is one of the four states of

Kadamba Kakusthavarma; the posthumous record is inscribed in Late southern Brahmi script during the reign of Santivarma (450 to 470 AD).[18] Traditions of Hinduism are practiced in both Sanskrit (considered a superior language) and vernacular languages. The upper castes practice the religion mostly in Sanskrit, whereas the lower-class people practice it in the vernacular language of the region, which constitutes almost 80% of the rural community.[18]

Castes

During the

Sind in the north (now in Pakistan) to Mysore State (now Karnataka) in the south.[19]

Architecture

Chalukya dynasty

Main article:
Chaulukya architecture
Virupaksha Temple, Hampi
.

One of the seven rivers of India sacred to Hindus is the

vihara. The earliest temple built was in 450AD which had a square mandapa (pavilion) and a tower (shikara) above the image of the main deity. These became forerunners for later period Hindu temples and resulted in the evolution of Hindu medieval temple architecture.[21]

Hoysala Empire

Th reign of the

lingas named Hoysaleshvara and Shantaleshvara, after the king and queen. Built over a period of 70 years, it was left incomplete. It has an enormous Nandi, the mount of Shiva. There is a small Surya (Sun god) temple behind the sanctorum deified with a Surya (Sun) image which is 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in height. The walls of the temple have been carved with scenes of Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Bhagavad Gita epics; they are crafted on the external and internal walls, with Yabancharya named as the architect. The town was ravaged by Muslim invaders in 1327.[24]

Left: Sculpture of Shiva's mount, Nandi, in Halebeedu, Karnataka. Depictions of Nandi are common in the state; Right: Shiva tearing an elephant (Gajasura) - Chennakesava temple, Beluru. Hoysala Empire architecture in Beluru.

Vijayanagara Empire

Main article: Vijayanagara architecture

Indian peninsula; this city was sacked by the invading Muslim army in 1565.[26]

Nagara and Vadara styles

Other temples built are in a blend of

Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple in Nandi village is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dating to the 9th century. The temple, hewn out of rock, comprises two complexes. While the first complex houses three deities, the second complex consists of a huge and majestic kalyani or pond. The foundation of the temple was laid by the Banas of the 9th century. The Chola rulers of the 11th century constructed the roof of the temple. The marriage hall was built by the Hoysalas in the 13th century and a wall of the second complex was built by the Vijayanagar kings. Stone carvings are a popular tourist attraction and are a source of inspiration for students of art and architecture.[29]

See also

References

Citations

  1. ISBN 9780826499660
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0-595-78643-5
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-81-7099-867-9
    .
  4. ^ "Karnataka Population Census data 2011". Census 2011 - Census of India.
  5. ISBN 9780415266055
    .
  6. ^ a b Kamat, Jyotsna. "Buddhist System of Education". Education in Karnataka through the ages. Kamat's Potpourri. pp. 152–154. Retrieved 27 June 2013.
  7. ^ Blurton 1993, p. 212.
  8. ^ "Caste conundrum: Lingayat Vs Vokaliga". Zee News.com. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  9. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, pp. 353–54.
  10. ^ a b Flood 2008, p. 184.
  11. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 260.
  12. ^ a b c Flood 2008, p. 219.
  13. ISBN 978-81-8069-397-7
    .
  14. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 29.
  15. ^ Flood 2008, pp. 207–08.
  16. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 332.
  17. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6
    .
  18. ^
    ISBN 978-1-57607-359-9
    .
  19. ISBN 978-1-57607-905-8
    .
  20. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 134.
  21. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 10.
  22. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 90.
  23. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 202.
  24. ISBN 978-81-7478-062-1
    .
  25. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 274.
  26. ^ Lochtefeld 2002, p. 270.
  27. ISBN 9781475936759
    .
  28. ^ Blurton 1993, p. 187.
  29. ^ "Here & There". Deccan Herald. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2021.

Bibliographies

External links

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