Bengaluru, Feb 20 (PTI) A Lingayat seminary in Gadag district of northern Karnataka is all set to get a Muslim man as its pontiff.

Diwan Sharief, in his early 30s, would be anointed as the pontiff of the Murugharajendra Koraneshwara Shantidhama mutt in Asuti village on February 26, mutt sources said.

The Lingayat community, which owes allegiance to the 12th century "social reform movement" initiated by Basaveshwara, is open to people of all caste and religion.

Sharief and his father were said to be influenced by the teachings of Basaveshwara and had donated land to the mutt.

Sharief, who has three daughters and a son, had taken Linga deeksha and has undergone training about the mutt traditions, they added.

The mutt is reportedly associated with Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra mutt of Chitradurga and Koraneshwara Sansthan mutt in Khajuri village in Kalaburagi.

Sri Murugharajendra Koraneshwar Shivayogi, the seer of Koraneshwara Sansthan mutt,has decided to make Sharief as the pontiff, sources said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)