Use resources to build schools, hospitals'

The seer of the Bhalki Math, Channabasava Pattaddevaru, regretted on Thursday that the heads of some Veerashaiva maths and their followers were reverting to Vedic practices of building temples and idol worship, which had been opposed by Basaveshwara, the 12th Century reformer saint.
It was sad that resources were being diverted to such ends rather than using them to build schools or hospitals, the swamiji said at the fifth death anniversary celebrations of Sri Basavalinga Pattaddevaru, who had founded the math.
"We are wrong if we believe that we can please Basaveshwara by praying loud in large temples or follow religious rituals. He is best remembered by those who follow his principles of equality of men and empathy for other human beings," the swamiji said.
He said the late Sri Basavalinga Pattaddevaru pioneered the cause of education in this backward district about 80 years ago. If not for him, Kannada literature would not be flourishing in this region today, he said. Swadeshi campaigner Rajiv Dikshit called upon the farmers to adopt organic farming. He said multinational seed companies should be driven away from India. Otherwise, he felt, there was the danger of these companies monopolising the seed market.
Saying that he would propagate Basaveshwara's principles of simple living, treating work as one's God and equality of all mankind, Mr. Dikshit called upon writers to translate the Vachanas of Basaveshwara and other Sharanas.
Later, the swamiji gave away the Marathi Vachana literature award to Ashok Meenkudale, the children's literature award to Sham. Gu. Biradar, Vachana Singing Award to Tarabai Jambaladinni, and folk literature to (posthumously) Mama Boralkar of Bidar.
Siddaramanadapuri Swamiji of Sindhanoor Math spoke on the similarities in the philosophies of Kanaka Dasa and Basaveshwara.
Basavakorneshwar Swamiji of Usturi and Shivananda Swamiji of Hulsoor and Akka Annapurna were pres