Who among the following was the founder of the Virashaiva Movement in Karnataka ?

The Virashaiva movement, also known as the Lingayat tradition, emerged in Karnataka during the twelfth century [1]. It was founded and led by Basavanna (1106–1168), a Brahmana who served as a minister in the court of the Kalachuri ruler Bijjala [1]. Basavanna and his followers, including saints like Allama Prabhu and Akka Mahadevi, challenged the Brahmanical caste hierarchy and notions of ritual purity. They worshipped Shiva in the form of a linga and rejected the theory of rebirth [1]. In contrast, Appar, Sambandar, and Sundarar (the Nalvar) were Tamil Nayanar saints who lived between the 6th and 9th centuries. While they were also devotees of Shiva, they belonged to the earlier Tamil Bhakti tradition and Saiva Siddhanta philosophy rather than the Karnataka-based Virashaiva movement.

Sources

1. [1] THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Bhakti-Sufi Traditions > 3. The Virashaiva Tradition in Karnataka > p. 147