Seer of Lingayat Mutt in Gundlupet steps down after devotees learn of his religious background
Chamarajnagar: A young Lingayat seer heading the Gurumalleshwara Dasoha Mutt in Chowdahalli, Gundlupet taluk, was compelled to leave his position after his Muslim background came to light and the villagers objected to his appointment.
The 22-year-old seer, Nijalinga Swamy, had taken charge of the Mutt one-and-a-half months ago.
The seer was born into a Muslim family as Mohammad Nasir in Shahapur village of Yadgir district but, after being attracted by the principles of Basavanna at a young age, he took ‘deeksha’ (religious initiation) as Nijalinga Swamy at a Shakha Mutt. He headed the Mutt in Basavakalyana in Bidar as suggested by a senior seer and held religious services as well as sermons.
On Friday, August 1, however, a devotee of the Mutt found Nijalinga Swamy’s Aadhaar card details in his mobile phone and informed the village residents of the seer’s background. When questioned, the seer told the villagers that he was born into a different religion but took ‘deeksha’ in 2021 as he was attracted by the teachings of Basavanna.
The villagers, who were upset that the seer had not revealed his background while taking charge of the Mutt, demanded that he step down as head of the Mutt.
Gundlupet Police Inspector Jayakumar and constables arrived at Chowdahalli and spoke to the villagers as well as the seer, who agreed to step down if the villagers objected to his heading the Mutt. He is also learned to have returned to his native place after the incident in Gundlupet.
Officials who probed the matter have found documents relating to his taking ‘deeksha’, participating in a religious event with other seers and also his background.
Mahadeva Prasad, a native of Chowdahalli who currently lives in Australia, had provided land and financial aid to build the Gurumalleshwara Dasoha Mutt, which was established a year ago. The Mutt was initially headed by Akkamahadevi Mathaji, who stepped down for personal reasons, after which, Nijalinga Swamy took charge of the Mutt.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
