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The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
I-Day celebrations in Kalaburagi cut short amid mourning for Sharanabasavappa Appa
The 79th Independence Day celebrations in Kalaburagi were a subdued affair on Friday, as the city mourned the passing of Sharanabasavappa Appa, the eighth Mahadasoha Peetadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthan. The district administration curtailed the official programme to less than 20 minutes as a mark of respect to the revered spiritual leader. The Independence Day celebrations began at 9 a.m. at the Police Parade Grounds, where District In-charge Minister Priyank Kharge, who also holds the portfolios of Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, and IT-BT, hoisted the national flag. He then took the ceremonial salute in an open jeep, inspecting the parade formed by 16 contingents, including the Civil Police, KSRP 6th Battalion, Bharat Seva Dal, NCC cadets from the Army Pre-Recruitment Training School, Home Guards, Forest Department, Fire and Emergency Services, and students from various schools. The event departed from tradition in more ways than one. There were no speeches outlining the government's achievements, no tableaux or cultural programmes by schoolchildren, and no formal inauguration of new government vehicles. After the parade and a brief moment of silence in honour of Appa, Minister Priyank returned to the dais, conferred briefly with local legislators, and the emcees announced the conclusion of the programme. 'Since Sharanabasavappa Appa attained Lingaikya (union with the divine), we decided to keep the celebrations purely symbolic,' Minister Priyank later told reporters. The occasion drew the presence of several public representatives and senior officials, including MLAs Allamprabhu Patil and Kaneez Fatima, Nijasharana Ambigar Chowdayya Development Corporation Chairman Baburao Chinchansur, MLCs Tippannappa Kamakanur and Jagadev Guttedar, Mayor Varsha Jane, Deputy Mayor Tripti Lakhe, Kalaburagi Urban Development Authority Chairman Mazhar Alam Khan, Regional Commissioner Zaheera Naseem, IGP (Northeast Range) Shantanu Sinha, KKRDB Secretary Nalin Atul, Deputy Commissioner B. Fouzia Taranum, ZP CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena, Municipal Commissioner Avinash Shinde, KKRTC MD B. Sushila, Police Commissioner S.D. Sharanappa, Superintendent of Police, Adduru Srinivasulu, and other senior administrative officers. Students, members of the public, and uniformed personnel filled the stands in silent solidarity. The otherwise solemn day was briefly interrupted by an incident en route to the venue, when a car carrying a Congress leader from Minister Kharge's convoy rammed into a barricade near Kanya Girls' High School. The impact badly damaged the bonnet, headlamp, and bumper, though no injuries were reported. The Minister's vehicle had already moved ahead. The driver, who reportedly did not notice the barricade placed to regulate traffic, resumed the journey to the Parade Grounds after a brief halt. The shortened celebrations stood in stark contrast to the usual pomp of Independence Day in the city, but for Kalaburagi, the day's spirit was defined less by speeches and parades and more by the collective mourning of a spiritual leader whose influence touched countless lives.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sharanabasavappa Appa laid to rest with state honours; Kalaburagi gives an emotional farewell
As the nation marked its 79th Independence Day with great fervour on Friday, Kalaburagi city was steeped in grief. The mortal remains of Sharanabasavappa Appa, the eighth Mahadasoha Peetadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthan, awaited their final journey. The revered spiritual leader and educationist had passed away the previous night at 9:23 pm, aged 90, after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments. He was laid to rest beside the tomb of his father and predecessor, the 7th Peetadhipathi, Doddappa Appa, at the Sharanabasaveshwara shrine. The burial took place with state honours, preceded by elaborate religious ceremonies steeped in centuries-old Lingayat tradition. From the early hours, Appa's mortal remains were kept on the Sharanabasaveshwara temple premises, where a steady stream of devotees, many with tear-streaked faces and folded hands, came from across Karnataka and neighbouring States to pay homage. The air was filled with chants and prayers, as his followers queued patiently for a last glimpse. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission B.R. Patil, KKRDB Chairman Ajay Singh, and legislators M.Y. Patil, Allamprabhu Patil, Basavaraj Mattimod, Kaneez Fatima, Shahil Namoshi, and B.G. Patil were among the prominent dignitaries who paid their respects before the burial. With thousands thronging the temple complex, the district administration turned it into a high-security zone. 'Over 2,000 police personnel from Kalaburagi, Bidar, and Yadgir were deployed to ensure the peaceful completion of the last rites,' said Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu, who camped at the site along with Yadgir SP Pruthvik Shankar and Kalaburagi DCP (Law and Order) Kanika Sikriwal. The entire city seemed to pause in mourning with major commercial hubs including the Gunj area, Kirana Bazaar, and Saraf Bazaar, as well as shops surrounding the temple, downing their shutters in a spontaneous mark of respect. Appa, one of the most revered Veerashaiva-Lingayat spiritual leaders of his time, was admitted to a private hospital on July 25 after developing a severe respiratory infection. He remained on life support for nearly three weeks. On Thursday evening, at around 7:30 pm, he was moved back to his residence at Dasoha Mahamane on the temple premises, where a makeshift ICU had been prepared earlier in the day. In a poignant final act, he is said to have offered silent prayers to the Sharanabasaveshwara saint at the sanctum sanctorum. Minutes later, he breathed his last, leaving behind an enduring legacy of service, education, and spiritual guidance.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Sharanabaswappa Appa passes away at 91
Eighth Peethadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthan Sharanabaswappa Appa, who was founder-chancellor of Sharnbasva University in Kalaburagi, passed away late on Thursday. He was 91. He is survived by eight daughters and a son, five daughters from his first wife and three daughters and a son from his second wife. His nine-year-old son Doddappa Appa was crowned as the ninth Peethadhipathi of the samsthan in February 2022 at the age of four to succeed his father. Appa was suffering from age-related ailments for the last few months. He was admitted to a private hospital in the city on July 25 after developing a respiratory infection and was on life support since then. At 7.30 p.m. on Thursday, he was taken to his residence at Dasoha Mahamane on the Sharana Basaveshwara Temple premises, where a makeshift ICU was set up earlier in the day. All care and supportive medications were continued until his last breath, under the care of a dedicated medical team, to ensure his comfort. By 9.23 p.m., he breathed his last. Born on November 14, 1935, Appa completed his early education at Mahadasoha Mahamane in the Gurukul tradition, pursued schooling at Nutan Vidyalaya and graduated from the Government College in Kalaburagi. He earned his MA and Ph.D in Philosophy from Karnatak University, Dharwad, where he was later appointed a Syndicate Member. He was instrumental in introducing postgraduate studies in Veerashaiva philosophy. He studied under eminent scholar K.G. Shah who had taught at Cambridge and Oxford. Appa ascended the Peethadhipathi's chair in 1983. A visionary educationist, he transformed the once educationally backward Kalyana Karnataka region into an academic hub. When political and social systems failed to provide quality education, he opened the doors of higher learning to the masses, focusing on empowerment through knowledge. He authored Shatashtala Siddhanta and Maha Dasoha Sutra, the latter was translated into English by Judit Kroll of the University of Chicago. In 2017, he established Sharnbasva University to blend traditional values with modern education and to frame curricula free from bureaucratic constraints, tailoring them to the needs of industry and society. Under his stewardship, the Sharanabasaveshwara Vidya Vardhak Sangha expanded into a network of schools, colleges and professional institutions. The samsthan flourished as a centre of spiritual guidance, social service and cultural preservation. Appa's lifelong commitment to moral values, inclusivity, and interfaith harmony earned him widespread respect and numerous honours. His death marks the end of an era for the samsthan and the people of North Karnataka.
