Bengaluru, August 06: A 22-year-old seer named Nijalinga Swamy was compelled to relinquish his position as the head of a newly established Lingayat mutt in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar after villagers objected upon discovering his Muslim background. Born as Mohammed Nisar in Yadgir district, the young seer embraced Lingayatism at the age of 17, inspired by the teachings of 12th-century social reformer Basavanna. For the past six weeks, he led the Gurumalleshwara Shakha mutt in Chowdahalli village, Gundlupet taluk.

The controversy erupted when an old Aadhaar card, discovered on his previous mobile phone, revealed his birth name and photographs of him wearing a skull cap and allegedly holding a beer bottle. A staffer had accessed the phone, sparking backlash among villagers and devotees, who claimed they were unaware of his earlier identity. Although Swamy clarified that he had not consumed alcohol after taking deeksha and had fully renounced his former faith, pressure mounted and he was eventually forced to resign. Dharmasthala Mass Burial Case: SIT Continues Digging Work at Suspected Sites Near Hindu Pilgrimage Centre in Karnataka’s Mangaluru for 4th Day.

Nijalinga Swamy maintains that his shift to Lingayatism was purely spiritual and rooted in his admiration for Basavanna’s egalitarian ideals. “I left Islam not out of hate but because of my love for Basavanna’s teachings,” he said, noting that many seers and members of the Lingayat community have stood by him. Dharmasthala News: SIT Investigating Mass Grave Case Recovers Bones During Excavation of 6th Burial Site at Hindu Pilgrimage Centre in Mangaluru.

He has now taken refuge at another Lingayat mutt in Rane Bennur, Haveri district, and vows to continue spreading vachanas (devotional poetry) and Basavanna’s reformist ideology. His case highlights the complex interplay between faith, identity, and social acceptance in modern India—especially for converts who challenge conventional boundaries within religious orders.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 06, 2025 10:52 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).