Sri Shiva Basava Swami of the Virakta Mutt in Hukkeri has welcomed a Muslim girl into Lingayat sect, in Hukkeri.
The girl went through a short ceremony to be ordained a Lingayat on Thursday. Her husband, a Lingayat, was present. The seer gifted her with an Ishta Linga, a Chouka and a saffron shawl in which the Linga is draped and tied around the neck.
The seer told The Hindu that the 24 year-old-youth, who came from a family of devout Lingayats, had fallen in love with the Muslim girl and married her a few weeks ago. But the boy’s family was insisting that the girl convert to Lingayat sect before she was accepted in the family. The boy and girl were staying with an acquaintance in Hukkeri.
The boy’s uncle, who is a follower of the swamy, told him about the issue and the seer suggested that the girl would be accepted into the Lingayat faith with a simple ceremony.
The ceremony was carried out with only three persons inside the mutt who maintained social distancing, the seer said.
