On 3rd August 2022, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Murugha Math in Karnataka and expressed that he wants the Math to send him a private tutor to teach him more about Shivayoga in detail because he has read a little about the founder of the Veer Shaiva sect Shri Basaveshwar. Party leaders DK Shivakumar and KC Venugopal were among the other leaders who accompanied Rahul Gandhi during his visit to this Math situated in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka.
The temple run of Rahul Gandhi ahead of elections is not an unfamiliar fact anymore. The Karnataka state legislative assembly is about to complete its tenure in the upcoming 10 months and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is already on his temple run to showcase his seasonal association with Indic faiths and sects. In one such attempt, he visited the Murugha Math in Karnataka. This Math is one of the major centres of the Veera Shaiva sect that covers an influential community in Karnataka.
During his visit to the Murugha Math, Rahul Gandhi said that he wants to know more about Ishtalinga and Shivayoga. However, instead of making any efforts to learn himself, he suggested that the Math should send a private tutor to him to teach about the matter. Rahul Gandhi said, “I’ve been following & reading a little about Basavanna ji for some time now. So, it’s a real honour for me to be here. I’d make a request, if you can send me somebody who can teach me a little more in detail about Ishtalinga & Shivayoga, I’d probably benefit from it.”
It is notable that, in Chitradurga, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got Linga Deeksha from Sri Murugha Math seer Dr. Sri Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru. People from the Lingayat community usually execute this process while going to wear a crystalline Ishtalinga.