Muslim to head Lingayat math in Karnataka

A Lingayat math in Gadag district of north Karnataka is set to make a Muslim man its pontiff. Diwan Sharief Rahimansab Mulla, 33, who will take charge on February 26, said he was influenced by the teachings of 12th-century reformer Basavanna since childhood and would work towards his ideals of social justice and harmony. Sharief will become pontiff of the Murugharajendra Koraneshwara Shantidhama Math in Asuti village, which is linked to the 350-year-old Koraneshwara Sansthan Math in Khajuri village in Kalaburagi. They rank among the 361 maths of Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Math of Chitradurga, which draw millions of followers from across Karnataka and Maharashtra, besides other parts of the country. “Sharief is dedicated to Basava’s philosophy and has been living by those tenets. His father was also a staunch follower and had obtained ‘linga deeksha’ from us. Sharief took ‘deeksha’ on November 10, 2019,” the pontiff said.