Basavanna

IN NEWS:

• Basava Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Lord Basavanna, was celebrated on 26^th April

LORD BASAVANNA:

• Lord Basavanna was a 12th-century poet-philosopher, statesman and a social reformer, who lived during the reign of Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, India.
• He spread social awareness through his poetry, known as Vachanas.
• He introduced public institutions such as the Anubhava Mantapa, where all manner of people could discuss spiritual and mundane questions of life, in open.
• Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals. But he introduced ‘ishtalinga necklace’, to be a constant reminder of one's devotion to Shiva
• In November 2015, a statue of Basavanna was inaugurated along the bank of river Thames at Lambeth in London, UK.

PRELIMS QUESTION:

Q. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Basavanna’:

1. He was a poet-saint who lived in Karnataka
2. He is credited for his poetry works called ‘Vachanas’

Choose the correct answer from the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to Prelims question