Revolution of Kalyana (Kalyana Kranti)

Quite often many revolutions have taken place in the history of the world. Usually, when some traditions beliefs, customs, practices, ideals are established in the society, community will raise against these and install superior ideals by displains them, thus, a movement bringing a overall transformation in the established norms and practices can be called revolution. These type of revolutions might have happened for the progress of social, political, economic ideals or for the overall development of ideals of life ; The revolution started by Basavanna during the 12th Century brought a tremendous overall transformation in the spheres of social, religious, economic, political, moral, radical and was sharp enough to change the angle of perception of the people. Though small in magnitude, with a tremendous fame, it had a broad vision of guiding the whole world.

The revolution of Kalyana happened neither for woman nor for wealth or land but to establish the equality of human being by wiping out the discrimination of colour and classes. In this, many have sacrificed. Any new principle counts into being only after many sacrifices. A legend goes like this; once after seeing the untruth and injustice in this world, a thinker became dejected and went in search of truth, who had sat in the form of a man. He sat down in distress as no one enquired about him though he was a truthful man. Then this truth seeker questioned ; "O truth, since you have come away from the human society, there is a lot of injustice and untruth. Why you should not come there? Why you should not improve it ? Then that truth answered. "O thinker ! I have not left this human society on my own, they have chased me. It is allright; I am prepared to come. But, are you ready to sacrifice yourself for me ? How many people are ready to sacrifice; their body, mind and wealth ?" This is really true. No ideals can be established in the society until the people make up their mind to sacrifice. That is why one of the leaders of 12th century revolution Shree Channa Basavanna has said,

You not bother that The seed fallen on the soil Has perished,
But find it In the harvest that shall come ;
Do you not bother that The gold that is heated and melted Has perished
But find it In its lustre yet to be ;
Do you not bother that the light that is enkindled Has perished
But find it In the light that is to shine

Only when a seed dies and gives out its fertility to the soil, another tree will be born. We get fruits from that tree. Then gold gets burnt and melted and stays with all patience, only then we get pure gold and from that different types of ornaments. We get light only when wick burns. Likewise in the revolution of 12 century, five wicks burnt themselves. By valiantly sacrificing their lives, they filled our mind with essence of ideals. Those immortal lights (Sharanas)-Samagara (cobbler) Haralaiah, his son Sheelavanthaiah, Brahmin minister Madhuvarasa, Haralaiah's wife-Kalyanamma & Madhuvarasa's daughter-Lavanyavathi.

Kalyana Kranti is the great history of legendary victory over the ritualistic clutches society. In the beginning of the 11th century city called Kalyana presently known as Basava Kalyana situated in north side of Karnataka State belonging to the Southern part of India.

This part of the Indian soil witnessed a great revolution for Universal Fraternity, Gender Equality, Universal Welfare, Divinization of labor, Evolution of the society at all the corners of life, providing Eternal Values to the Mankind and divinity to the mortal life and the world. Where in Guru Basaveshwara and his contemporaries are being scarified. By which became the part of great epic of the Lingayat religion.

Kalyana Kranti takes place because of Guru Basaveshwara's revolutionary reforms like empowering the down trodden, giving equal right to the female, and eradication of untouchability in the name of castism.

Blaze of Kalyana Kranti light up by the event of marriage between Sharana Sheelavant son of Haralayya cobbler by Kayaka (work) and Lavanyavati the Daughter of Madhuvarasa a minister in the Kingdom Bijjala of Kalyana.

Ritualistic powers were very jealousy with the development of Anubhava Mantapa formation of Vachana literature and Kayaka Dashoha concept of Guru Basaveshwara and his companions. The marriage between untouchable bridegroom and the upper caste bride was became a reason to question. The Sharana were prosecuted at Bijjala's court charged for violating the rituals and contending the fore fold caste system.

Sharana's answer; they not at all committed any crime; as they belong to the religion established by Guru Basaveshwara and the marriage is with the consent of the parents and the bride, groom and the Sharana community at Anubhava Mantapa witnessed the same. And then the performed marriage is within the same religion, therefore no question of the contention will arise.

Prelude mindsets were not supposed to satisfy with the answer. The communal powers lead to punish persons responsible for the marriage. Basaveshwara banned to the Kingdom (Gadiparu) and the bridegroom Sheelavant, father of bridegroom Haralayya and the father of bride Madhuvarasa were drown to death by Elephants on the roads of Kalyana (Elehute sikshe )

Tyrannical mind sets of Communal powers were not at all satisfied by this, they move to destroy the Vachana literature (the religious literature, written motivating treasure, a great source of inspiration) by killing all the Sharanas (followers of the religion proponed by Guru Basaveshwara).