Lingayats, also known as Veerashaiva , are a community in India who adhere to Lingayatism, a religious sect of Shaivism within Hinduism. This is a list of notable Lingayats:Community dominance and political modernisation: the LingayatsProminent Lingayat Figures
Saints
Akka Mahadevi Allama PrabhuSharanas Basavais Basavanna? Channabasavanna Ambigara Chowdaiya Devar Dasimayya Siddheshwar – of Solapur, Maharashtra Viswabandhu Marulasiddha Sharane Sri Danamma Devi – of Guddapura, Maharashtra Sarvajna
Historical rulers
Kittur Chennamma(1778–1829) – queen of the princely state of Kitturu, Karnataka; fought against Doctrine of lapse Belawadi Mallamma Haleri Kings –On the Haleri Trail - Deccan Herald of Madikeri Linga Rajendra II – Haleri king of Kodagu Chikka Virarajendra – last ruler of Madikeri Keladi Nayaka Kingdom Keladi Chennamma Shivappa Nayaka Hande Hanumappa Nayaka- Savior of Vijayanagara empire and first Hande ruler of Ballari
Philanthropists
Shivakumara Swamiji – head of Siddaganga Matha; Padma Bhushan awardeeList of Prominent Lingayats Gubbi Thotadappa - founder of famous Thotadappa hostel.
Education, science and technology
D. C. Pavate - Vice chancellor of Karnataka University, Dharawada, Padmabhushan awardee. Dr. DG Hallikeri – freedom fighter and educationist A. S. Adke – former vice-chancellor of Karnataka University and former Principal of Karnataka Regional Engineering College, Surathkal M. Mahadevappa – agricultural scientist and plant breeder; Padma Bhushan awardee Dr. MC Modi – eye surgeon and Padma Bhushan awardee S. G. Balekundri – irrigation expert and architect of Alamatti DamSecond Visveswarayya Y. G. Parameshwara – first Indian blind doctor A.N. Prabhu Deva – former vice-chancellor of Bangalore University S. J. Nagalotimath – medical writer A. S. Kiran Kumar – Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman of Space Commission and Padma Shri awardee
Literature
Sarvajna – Kannada poet Chamarasa – author of Prabhulingaleele Harihara – known as Ragaleya Kavi Palkuriki Somanatha – Telugu poet, author of Basava purana Nijaguna Shivayogi – 15th-century Kannada poet Hardekar Manjappa – known as Gandhi of KarnatakaHardekar Manjappa Phakirappa Gurubasappa Halakatti – Kannada writer G. S. Shivarudrappa – Poet and critic, Rashtra Kavi Chennaveera Kanavi – poet and critic Panchakshari Hiremath – writer and poet, short story writer, essayist, critic, translator, orator, editor, who writes in Kannada, Urdu and Hindi P. Lankesh – writer and journalist, writing in the Kannada language Jayadevi Taayi Ligade – writer; first lady president of akhila Bharatha Kannada saahitya sammelana M. M. Kalburgi – Kannada scholar, Researcher, Vice Chancellor or Hampi Kannada University H.S. Shivaprakash- Poet, Playwright L. Basavaraju – Kannada eminent scholar and writer of several books on Sharana Sahitya Sangamesh Saundattimath – Dravidian linguist M. Chidananda Murthy – Kannada writer, researcher and historian Channappa Uttangi – interfaith pioneer and writer K. Marulasiddappa – Kannada writer Chandrashekhar Patil – Kannada poet and playwright Patil Puttappa – Kannada writer and former member of parliament, Rajya Sabha Manu Baligar – former bureaucrat, and current president of Kannada Sahitya Parishat
Art and music
Pandit Ganayogi Panchakshara Gawai – Hindustani and classical musician Basavaraj Rajguru – classical vocalist, Padma Bhushan awardee Mallikarjun Mansur – Hindustani vocalist, Padma Vibhushan, Kalidas Samman awardee Rajshekhar Mansur-Hindustani vocalist Kumar Gandharva – Hindustani vocalist, Padma Vibhushan, Kalidas Samman awardee Pandit Puttaraj Gawai – Hindustani and classical musician, Padma Bhushan, Kalidas Samman awardee Mukul Shivputra – Hindustani classical music vocalist and son of Kumar Gandharva Balappa Hukkeri – Kannada folk singer Rajashekhar Mansur – classical vocalist Gubbi Veeranna – theatre director, known as 'father of Kannada film industry' B. Jayashree - theatre Ranjani Shettar – artist and sculpurist Vyjayanthi Kashi – artist and Kuchipudi dancer Prateeksha Kashi – kuchipudi dancer
Politics
Chief Ministers
Photo NameStateS. NijalingappaKarnatakaB. D. JattiS. R. KanthiVeerendra PatilS. R. BommaiJ. H. PatelB. S. YediyurappaJagadish ShettarBasavaraj Bommai
Other politicians
Shivraj Patil – Home Minister of India 2004–2008, Speaker of Lok Sabha 1991–1996, Minister of Defence 1980–1989, Governor of Punjab 2010–2015, Governor of Rajasthan 2010-2012 K. P. Puttanna Chetty – First President of Bangalore Municipality M. S. Gurupadaswamy – Leader of House of Rajya Sabha 1989–1990, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha 1971–1972, Minister of Agriculture Laxman Savadi – former Deputy Chief Minister, former Minister for Transport and Minister for Co-operation, Government of Karnataka J. C. Madhu Swamy - ex Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, and Minor Irrigation, Government of Karnataka B. C. Patil - ex Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka V. Somanna - ex Minister for Housing, Government of Karnataka C. C. Patil – ex Minister for Public Works Department, former Minister for Mines and Geology, Government of Karnataka Shashikala Annasaheb Jolle – ex Minister for Women and Child development, Senior Citizen and differently abled Empowerment, Government of Karnataka and MLA, Nippani Eshwara Bhimanna Khandre – MLA and former Minister, Government of Karnataka K. S. Nagarathanamma - former Speaker and Leader of opposition of Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and minister for Health and family welfare.First Woman Speaker of Karnataka - K. S. Nagarathnamma S. Mallikarjunaiah – former MP Tumkur and Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha (1991–1996) M.P. Prakash – Congress Leader and former deputy chief minister of Karnataka M. B. Patil – former Minister for Water Resources, Government of Karnataka Suresh Angadi – Minister of State for Railways, Government of India Suresh Shetkar – former MP of Zahirabad (Lok Sabha constituency), Telangana Gudleppa Hallikeri – freedom fighter and former chairman of Legislative Council, M. V. Rajasekharan – former Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning, Government of India H.Siddhaveerappa – former minister for Home, Industries and Health, Leader of opposition, Government of Karnataka Murugesh Nirani – former Minister for Heavy Industry, Government of Karnataka S. S. Mallikarjun – MLA, Karnataka and Minister for Horticulture, Mines & Geology, Government of Karnataka S. A. Ravindranath – former minister for Horticulture and Sugar, government of Karnataka Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeswara – Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Smt.Basavarajeswari – three time MP from Bellary and former Union Minister of India Siddappa Kambli – politician, freedom fighter and contributor for Unification of Karnataka Ratnappa Kumbhar – former MP, MLC and Minister of Home, Food and Civil Supplies in Maharashtra Government Babagouda Patil – BJP Leader, former MP and Union Minister of Rural Areas & Employment Basangouda Patil – former Union minister of state for Railways and Textiles Dr Neeraj Patil – former mayor of Lambeth, London Vatal Nagaraj – former MLA and founder leader of Kannada Chalavali Vatal Paksha B. Y. Raghavendra – MP Shimoga; son of CM B. S. Yeddyurappa M. P. Renukacharya – MLA and former Minister for Excise, Government of Karnataka D. C. Srikantappa – former three time MP from Chikmagalur Basavaraj Patil Sedam – former member of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha M. Rajasekara Murthy – former Union minister for Surface Transport, MP, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and former minister for Finance, Revenue, Excise and Commerce and Industry, Karnataka Dilip Gangadhar Sopal – former MLA, Barshi, Solapur, and former minister for Law and Judiciary, and Water supply and Sanitation, Government of Maharashtra Shashil G. Namoshi – former Member of Legislative Council, Karnataka Basavaraj Patil Attur – former minister for Higher Education, Small Scale Industries, and Minor Irrigation Anant Gudhe – former member of parliament, Amravati Chandrakant Khaire – former member of parliament, Aurangabad Shamanuru Shivashankarappa – MLA, Davanagere South, former Minister for Horticulture and Agro Marketing, Government of Karnataka and President, Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha H. K. Patil – former Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Government of KarnatakaH. K. PatilThe importance of being Patil Sharan Prakash Patil – former Minister for Medical Education, Government of Karnataka S. R. Patil – former Minister for Infrastructure, Information Technology, Biotechnology, Science and Technology, Planning and Statistics, Government of Karnataka H. S. Mahadeva Prasad – former Minister for Co-operation, Government of Karnataka Prakash Babanna Hukkeri – Member of Parliament, Chikkodi and former Minister for Sugar, Small Scale Industries and Endowments, Government of Karnataka Bhagwanth Khuba – Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers, New and Renewable Energy of India and member of parliament, Bidar P. C. Gaddigoudar – Member of Parliament, Bagalkot Karadi Sanganna Amarappa – Member of Parliament, Koppal (Lok Sabha constituency) B. Jayashree – artist and former member of Rajya Sabha, Padma Shri awardee Annasaheb Jolle - Member of Parliament, Chikkodi. B B Patil – Member of Parliament, Zahirabad (Lok Sabha constituency), Telangana Satish Hiremath – former mayor of Oro Valley, Arizona, United States of America Manjunath Kunnur – former MP, Dharwad South Basavraj Madhavrao Patil – MLA, Ausa, Latur, and former Minister for Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra Siddharam Satlingappa Mhetre – MLA, Akkalkot, Solapur, and former Minister for Home and Rural Development, Government of Maharashtra Karne Prabhakar – MLC, Telangana, and Spokesperson of BRSQueues say a sop story in Hyderabad Vijay Deshmukh – former Minister of state for PWD, Transport, Labour and Textiles, Government of Maharashtra, and MLA, Solapur North Vinay Kulkarni – former Minister for Mines and Geology, Government of Karnataka, and MLA, Dharwad Ganesh Hukkeri – Member of Legislative Assembly, Chikkodi Lakshmi Hebbalkar – Member of Legislative Assembly and former president, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee women's wing B. Y. Vijayendra - president of Bharatiya Janata Party Karnataka state unit Rahul Siddhvinayak Bondre - MLA, Maharashtra Prabha Mallikarjun - Member of Parliament, Davanagere Lok Sabha constituency Sagar Khandre - Member of Parliament, Bidar Lok Sabha constituency Chandrashekhar S. Patil - Member of the Legislative Assembly, Kamalapur, Karnataka Assembly constituency
Business
Baba Kalyani - Founder and Chairman of Kalyani Group Gowdar Mallikarjunappa Siddeswara – MP and head of GM groupGm Group's Ashok Kheny – head of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Project (NICE) Prabhakar B. Kore – Karnatak Lingayat Education Society (largest education society in the state), chairman, MP and former minister Murugesh Nirani – of Nirani Group Shamanuru Shivashankarappa – of Bapuji Educational Association Vijay Sankeshwar – Chairman of VRL Group
Media and entertainment
M. P. Shankar – veteran Kannada film actor and director Doddanna – veteran Kannada actor Manjula – actress B.C. Patil – Kannada actor Prabhu deva – Indian actor, known as the Indian Michael Jackson Mugur Sundar – Indian director Raju Sundaram – Tamil actor Nagendra Prasad – actor Gubbi Veeranna – theatre director B. C. Gowrishankar – choreographer K. M. Chaitanya – director Sharath Lohitashwa – actor Lohithaswa – actor and writer Kavitha Lankesh – writer and director Gauri Lankesh - journalist Vedhika Kumar – actress and model Chindodi Leela – actress and dramatist, Padmashri awardee Indrajit Lankesh – director Preetham Gubbi – director