Udupi, Oct 18: Strongly opposing the separation of Lingayat community from Hindu religion, Paryaya Pejawar Mutt chief pontiff Vishwesha Teertha Swami said that worshipping Hindu god Shiva is part of Lingayat-Veerashaiva tradition.
Speaking to media persons on the eve of Diwali, the seer said that in his opinion though there were two traditions (Lingayat and Veerashaiva) in the Lingayat community, they were not separate. Lingayat and Veerashaiva were branches of the same religion.
The Dwaita and Advaita schools had fundamental philosophical differences but were branches of the same Vedic religion. The two traditions of Lingayat and Veerashaiva could never be separate.
However, as this was an internal matter relating to the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community, he would not like to interfere in it. “But if these two traditions are accepted as branches of the same religion, the Veerashaiva-Lingayat community would get more strength. This is my opinion and suggestion. I leave it to that community to decide the rest,” he said.
The seer said that when people of both these traditions were worshipping Shiva as their chief deity, doing Shiva Panchakshari Japa and offering prayers to the Shiva Linga, how could they be different or separate from the Hindu religion?
The followers of Lingayat tradition had stated that they did not accept the caste system in Hinduism, he said. But even the followers of Sri Ramakrishna Mission and Arya Samaj did not accept the caste system and so also various other traditions of Vaishnavism and Shaivism. Did that make them separate religion? he asked.
He had posed this question some time ago but none had answered it. “Hence, all the Lingayats and Veerashaivas should not separate from Hinduism. They should stay with us. This is my fervent appeal,” he said.
Some had questioned his interference in this matter. “When a brother thinks of leaving a family, the other brothers persuade him not to do so. My fraternal intervention should be seen in this light. Let us all stay together and try to protect our religion and culture,” he said.
In today’s society, it was not possible for one community to exploit another community. “In the present political scenario, the minority Brahmin community could not do injustice to the majority non-Brahmin community. Is it correct to blame the Brahmins for the tragedy which took place during the time of Sri Basaveshwara? Is it correct to blame today’s Muslims for the violence during the medieval period in the country?” he said.
“Just as Hindus and Muslims have to live in harmony now, so too communities among Hindus too should live together in harmony. Besides Vaishnavas or the exponent of the Dwaita philosophy Sri Madhwacharya never lived during the period of Sri Basaveshwara,” the seer said.
Welcoming the move Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigst.com that Indians stranded in any foreign country can utilize this facility. "Initially, I was approached by Mr Zakaria and Mr Sheik who wanted chartered flights to help their employees fly back to India. I asked them to write to the Indian Ambassador in Saudi Araia Mr Ausaf Sayeed. Then I requested the ambassador to forward the request to Joint Secretary Dr Nagendra Prasad, who is in charge of gulf division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and then to Secretary on charge of Gulf and then I requested Secretary of Economic Relations Mr T S Tirumurti who was also in charge of Gulf to follow this up," she said. 
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Allahu Akbar
Na Tasya Pratima Asti ... There is no image of God (Then U should really think "Why am I worshiping the stones, pictures and such things which are LIFELESS and will not harm or benefit anybody? Honesty in searching the TRUE GOD, will find your way to recognize the CREATOR of all that exists who is ever living & ever watching... Praise be to the lord who gave us the soul & intellect in this life to think and PONDER and not just live like the ways of the demons... Even animals are praising the lord of the universe ... U will find it when U honestly look for the TRUTH.
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