Sharana Basaveshwara Temple, Kalaburagi, Karnataka

Sharana Basaveshwara Temple, Kalaburagi, Karnataka

Sharana Basaveshwara Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Sharana Basaveshwara located in Kalaburagi City in Kalaburagi Taluk in Kalaburagi District in the Indian state of Karnataka. Sharana Basaveshwara was an 18^th century CE Lingayat saint, eminent teacher and philosopher in the Hindu religion. The temple is situated at about 2 Kms from Gulbarga fort.

History

Shri Sharana Basaveshwara was an eminent Lingayat religious teacher and philosopher of 18^th century CE. He is known for his Dasoha (charity) and Kayaka (removal of inequalities). The parents of Sharana Basaveshwara Sangamma and Malakkappa were the role model for his choice of his path to break the feudalism in the society. This temple is built in memory of him after his death. Sharana Basaveshwara Mahadasoha Peetha was established later. The Peetha currently supports many educational institutions.

The Temple

The temple follows Hindu style of architecture with influences from Mughal style. The temple consists of sanctum and sabha mandapa. There is a circumbulatory passage around the sabha mandapa. The circumbulatory passage around the sabha mandapa has around 36 arches.  The sanctum enshrines the samadhi of Saint Sharana Basaveshwara. The interior of the temple is richly decorated with gold paint, chandeliers and glass mirrors.

There is a marble Nandi at the center of the sabha mandapa. There are several canvas paintings depicts the life story of the peetha leaders and artistic depiction of Hindu gods. The walls and pillars of the temple has carvings of Sharana Basaveshwara, peacock, entangled serpents, Garuda, parrots, flowers and elephants. The panchaloha kalasha can be found here.

There is a throne like seat, probably the seat of the head of the peetha, inside the temple. There is a neem tree inside the temple premises. The main temple is surrounded by Peetha offices, primary and high schools and pre-university college run by the temple administration. The peetha has a collection of antique items like sculptures, bells, electrical clock and paintings. There is a picturesque lake situated adjacent to the temple.

Festivals

The annual fair, Sharana Basaveshwara Jatra, is conducted in this temple to commemorate the death anniversary of Sharana Basaveshwara. A cattle fair is also held here every year. The festival witness huge gathering of people in the temple to offer their homage on the Samadhi of Sri Sharana Basaveshwara. The devotees also perform padayatra from their villages to the temple as a form of devotion to the saint. The farmers from the region donates a portion of their harvest to the temple for providing free food to pilgrims visiting the temple. People will also have a glimpse of the silver plate (Prasada Battala) used by the saint and Linga Sajjike (the cover used for keeping the Linga) made in Sandalwood on this occasion. The temple also conducts a cattle fair every year.

Connectivity

The temple is located at about 2 Kms from Gulbarga Central Bus Stand, 2.5 Kms from Gulbarga Railway Station, 15 Kms from Gulbarga Airport, 85 Kms from Basavakalyan, 124 Kms from Solapur, 213 Kms from Hyderabad and 213 Kms from Hyderabad Airport. Gulbarga is well connected to the major cities in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Frequent bus services are available from the nearby cities like Hyderabad, Solapur, Pune, Mumbai, Bijapur, Bangalore and Bidar.

Location