Sharanabasavappa Appa laid to rest with state honours; Kalaburagi gives an emotional farewell

As the nation marked its 79th Independence Day with great fervour on Friday, Kalaburagi city was steeped in grief. The mortal remains of Sharanabasavappa Appa, the eighth Mahadasoha Peetadhipathi of the Sharanabasaveshwara Samsthan, awaited their final journey. The revered spiritual leader and educationist had passed away the previous night at 9:23 pm, aged 90, after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments.

He was laid to rest beside the tomb of his father and predecessor, the 7th Peetadhipathi, Doddappa Appa, at the Sharanabasaveshwara shrine. The burial took place with state honours, preceded by elaborate religious ceremonies steeped in centuries-old Lingayat tradition.

From the early hours, Appa’s mortal remains were kept on the Sharanabasaveshwara temple premises, where a steady stream of devotees, many with tear-streaked faces and folded hands, came from across Karnataka and neighbouring States to pay homage. The air was filled with chants and prayers, as his followers queued patiently for a last glimpse.

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre, BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra, Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission B.R. Patil, KKRDB Chairman Ajay Singh, and legislators M.Y. Patil, Allamprabhu Patil, Basavaraj Mattimod, Kaneez Fatima, Shahil Namoshi, and B.G. Patil were among the prominent dignitaries who paid their respects before the burial.

With thousands thronging the temple complex, the district administration turned it into a high-security zone. “Over 2,000 police personnel from Kalaburagi, Bidar, and Yadgir were deployed to ensure the peaceful completion of the last rites,” said Kalaburagi Superintendent of Police Adduru Srinivasulu, who camped at the site along with Yadgir SP Pruthvik Shankar and Kalaburagi DCP (Law and Order) Kanika Sikriwal.

The entire city seemed to pause in mourning with major commercial hubs including the Gunj area, Kirana Bazaar, and Saraf Bazaar, as well as shops surrounding the temple, downing their shutters in a spontaneous mark of respect.

Appa, one of the most revered Veerashaiva-Lingayat spiritual leaders of his time, was admitted to a private hospital on July 25 after developing a severe respiratory infection. He remained on life support for nearly three weeks.

On Thursday evening, at around 7:30 pm, he was moved back to his residence at Dasoha Mahamane on the temple premises, where a makeshift ICU had been prepared earlier in the day. In a poignant final act, he is said to have offered silent prayers to the Sharanabasaveshwara saint at the sanctum sanctorum. Minutes later, he breathed his last, leaving behind an enduring legacy of service, education, and spiritual guidance.