New Delhi (PTI): Karnataka's tableau in the 76th Republic-Day parade here on Sunday depicted the exquisite and artistic temples of the historic city of Lakkundi.

Located in Gadag district of Karnataka, about 70 km from Hubballi, Lakkundi is called the "Cradle of Stone Craft" for its stunning stone architecture.

The front part of the tableau that rolled down Kartavya Path had the Brahma statue from the Brahma Jinalaya temple, the oldest Jain shrine in Lakkundi dedicated to Lord Mahaveera.

It was followed by the open-pillared mantapa of the Brahma Jinalaya temple.

The main section of the tableau had on display the grand and ornate Kashi Vishweshwara temple and Nanneshwara temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The temples of Lakkundi reflect the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka and celebrate all faiths and religions. The southern state has always been a "SarvaJanangadaShaanthiya Thota", a quintessential garden of peace.

Lakkundi is home to beautiful temples, stepwells and inscriptions from the Chalukya dynasty.

Besides being a cultural powerhouse, Lakkundi was a large thriving city and a commercial hub between the 10th and 12th century AD.

The city was ruled by several dynasties but the most important of them were the Chalukyas.

Lakkundi is a paradise for antiquarians and architecture enthusiasts. It has 50 temples, most of which are dedicated to Lord Shiva, 101 stepwells and 29 inscriptions.

It is an epitome of the Kalyani Chalukyas' excellence in art, culture and architecture.

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Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.

Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.

He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.

Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.

He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.

Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.

He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.