Kudalasangama
Encyclopedia
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. It is located about 15 km from the Almatti Dam
Almatti Dam
The Almatti Dam is a dam project on the Krishna River in North Karnataka, India. The annual energy design is 713 million units. It was completed in July 2005....
in Bagalkot district
Bagalkot district
Bāgalkot district is an administrative district in the Indian state of Karnataka. The district headquarters is located in the town of Bagalkot. The district is located in northern Karnataka and borders Belgaum, Gadag, Koppal, Raichur and Bijapur...
of Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
state. The Krishna river
Krishna River
The Krishna River , is one of the longest rivers in central-southern India, about . It is also referred to as Krishnaveni in its original nomenclature...
and Ghataprabha
Malaprabha River
The Malaprabha River is a tributary of the Krishna River and flows through the state of Karnataka in India. It rises in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 792 m in the state's Belgaum district...
river merge here and flow east towards Srisaila (another pilgrim center) in state of Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
. The Aikya Mantapa or the holy Samādhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat faith along with Linga, which is believed to be self-born (Swayambhu
Swayambhu
Swayambhu means Self-manifested or that which is created by its own accord.-Vaishnavism:Based on details in Bhagavata Purana and Matsya Purana, Narayana or Krishna is said to be the Self-manifested Swayambhu form of Brahman as the first cause of creation...
), is situated here. The Kudala Sangama Development Board takes care of the maintenance and development of this place.
Tourism
The main attractions in and around Kudala Sangama are- Sangamanatha Temple, it is in Chalukya style.
- Aikya linga of Basaveshwara
- Basava Dharma Peetha's Mahamane Campus
- Poojavana. The Poojavana with neat paths amidst trees, a mini forest.
- The colossal Sabha Bhavana
It is a spacious auditorium with a seating capacity for 6,000. The exquisite doorways on four sides named after Gangambike, Nilambike, Channabasavanna and Akka Nagamma, surround the huge grey dome in the centre.
- The tall Basava Gopura slated to house the Basava International Centre, 200 ft high symmetrical tower looks imposing.
- Museum: The ashrama meant for visitors to stay also has a museum and a collection of sculptures related to Basavanna and history of Karnataka state.
KUDALA SANGAMA-BAGALKOT DISTRICT
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The place is a village located about 19 km from Hungund. Close by is the holy pilgrim centre and the renowned temple of Sangameshvara, on the River bank, at the confluence of the Krishna and the Malaprabha Rivers. Formerly it was known as Kappadi sangama where Basaveshwara’s teacher Ishanaguru lived.
The temple consists of a porch, navaranga and the main shrine. The idols of Basaveshvara, Neelamma, Nandi and Ganapathi have been placed in the navaranga. The door frame of the garbhagriha is richly carved with floral designs and animal figures. In the shrine is the linga famed as Sangameshvara or Sangamanatha.
An inscription in the temple of 1213 A.D. records a gift to the god Acheshvara. Another stone record of 1160 A.D.refers to land grant to deities, Kaleshvara and Achesvara.
It is believed that in 12th century A.D. Jathaveda Muni had set up an educational centre here and Basaveshvara, Channabasavanna and Akkanagamma were students.
Basaveshvara spent his boyhood here and after his return from Kalyana, he is said to have became one with the God at this place. The vachanas composed by him are dedicated to the presiding deity here, Sangamanatha.
In front of the temple, in the midst of the River, is a small stone mantapa with a Shivalinga in it, and lofty cement concrete dry well has been built around it to protect it from submersion.
On the east, across the river Krishna, stands the Neelamma’s temple. She was the consort of Basaveshvara. Here also a high cement concrete dry well has been built around the structure to protect it from the waters.(Source: Karnataka State Gazetteer 1983)
Vishwaguru Basavanna
Basavana Bagewadi
Basavana Bagewadi in India is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. It is located in Bijapur district of Karnataka state. This is the birth place of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat and is therefore an important center of pilgrimage for Lingayats....
), a small village in Bijapur District, in North Karnataka
North Karnataka
North Karnataka is an arid plateau from elevation in the Karnataka state of southwest India. It is drained by the Krishna River and its tributaries the Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, and Tungabhadra...
, also called as Ingaleshwara Bagewadi. Agrahara was an important place in town. The house of Madiraja the chief of the township was situated here. Basaveshwara was born to Madiraja and Madambike on third day of Vyshakha month of Anandanama year in Rohini star, according to the hindu calendar. [The year coincides with 1134 A.D.] Basavanna was a great saint, is considered Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
by some and some believe in him as an incarnation of Nandi, Lord Shiva's greatest devotee. This great soul lived in the 12th century. A true visionary of his time and a revolutionary who started a new religion Ligayatism or also known as Veershaivism, which literally means 'The brave followers of Shiva'. Basavanna's ultimate aim was to make this fundamental right available to each and everyone. Basavanna, keeping Welfare as the ultimate aim, he expedited programmes to take religion to the people. By preaching and writing religious literature in (Kannada). His samadhi is at Kudalasangama.