Narendra Modi released 23 volumes of Basavanna's Vachana on social reformer's birth anniversary

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 29 April 2017 unveiled translated volumes of Vachana, penned by 12th century social reformer Basavanna and various other saints in 23 Indian languages.

The volumes were released at the occasion of Basavanna's birth anniversary.

PM Modi also released digital version of the work at the initial ever celebration of Basava Jayanthi at the national level in New Delhi.

The 23 Vachana volumes are edited by renowned literary scholar late M M Kalburgi and translated by even more than 200 people. The Vachana was commissioned because of the Bengaluru-based Basava Samithi at a price of Rs 2.5 crore that, the Karnataka Government contributed Rs 1 crore.

Who was Basavanna?

• Basavanna has been a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet together with a social reformer.

• He lived throughout the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka.

• He spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly referred to as Vachanaas.

• He rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions and rituals like the wearing of sacred thread. However, he introduced Ishtalinga necklace, with an image of the Shiva Linga, to each person no matter its birth, to become constant reminder to your devotion to Shiva.

• As the Chief Minister of his kingdom, he introduced new public institutions like the Anubhava Mantapa (hall of spiritual experience). The Anubhava Mantapa welcomed people young and old from all socio-economic backgrounds to debate spiritual and mundane questions of life in open.

• His literary works add some Vachana Sahitya in Kannada Language.