GULBARGA: The biography of social reformer and educationist Sri Shivanand Shivayogi, founder of the Dasoha Math of Sonna in Jewargi taluk, will be released on Wednesday on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Sri Shivananda Shivayogi Grameena Janakalyan Samsthe. The samsthe runs many educational institutions and an orphanage on the math premises.

Sri Shivananda Swamiji of the math, who is chairman of the samsthe, told presspersons here on Monday that the function will be presided over by Siddalinga Mahaswamigalu of Tontadarya Samasthana Math, Dambal, in Gadag district.

He said the biography of Shivayogi, "Sonnada Shivanand Shivayogigalu", penned by Shankar Baichbal, will be released by S.A. Patil, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture Sciences, Dharwad. Industrialist V.S. Patil Nadhalli will lay the foundation stone for Sri Sangangouda Malipatil Teachers Training Centre.

The swamiji said Sri Shivanand Shivayogi, who dedicated his life to the welfare of the people, particularly the poor, was instrumental in starting a Kannada-medium school under the Nizam Government, which had imposed Urdu as the medium of instruction.

He said Shivayogi, who died at the age of 114, had provided shelter and supported the freedom fighters during the Nizam rule and Sonna Math was the centre of activity for freedom movement.

The math was first established in Masibinal in Basavana Bagewadi taluk in Bijapur district and was later shifted to Sonna.

Sri Shivananda Swamiji said when Shivayogi was crowned peetathipathi of the math in 1921, many prominent freedom fighters, including Hardikar Manjappa, known as "Karnataka's Gandhi", attended the peetarohana function. It was at this function that the people of the region were introduced to the "Gandhi cap", which was a symbol of freedom movement. Masibinal, a tiny village with a population of 2,000 at that time, was a centre of freedom movement and there were about 150 freedom fighters at that time in the village. This has been recorded in the "Bijapur Gazetteer".

The swamiji said under the instruction of the Shivayogi, freedom fighter rejected the benefits, including pension, given to them after the country's Independence.

He said swamijis of different maths such as Sri Shantalinga Mahaswamiji of Akhandeshwar Math in Jewrgi; Sri Siddarama Mahaswamiji of Viraktamath Yedrami; Sri Siddarama Mahaswamiji of Viraktamath Masibinal, Ijeri; Sri Mahantha Shivacharyaru of Sulphul Math, Gulbarga; Sri Siddalinga Mahaswamiji of Viraktamath, Nelogi; Sri Siddalinga Mahaswamiji of Viraktamath, Moratagi; Sri Mahantha Mahaswamiji of Viraktamath, Jeratagi; and Sri Gurubasava Mahaswamigalu of Viraktamath, Ferozabad, will be participating in the anniversary celebrations.

The newly elected members of the zilla and taluk panchayats from Jewargi taluk will be felicitated on the occasion.

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