The upcoming centenary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi’s historic visit to the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine in Kalaburagi is set for 2026-27, as announced by Anilkumar Bidve, Vice-Chancellor of Sharnbasva University. This significant event commemorates Gandhi’s 1927 meeting with Poojya Doddappa Appa, the seventh Peetadhipathi of the Sharnabasaveshwar Samsthan, marking an important occasion for both the samsthan and the surrounding region.
During a tribute at Sharnbasva University on Wednesday, Prof. Bidve reflected on Gandhi’s legacy, noting the extensive impact of his visit. In response to an attack on the Sharanabasaveshwar Shrine by the forces of the then-ruler of the Hyderabad Province in 1924, Gandhi, who was attending the AICC session in Belagavi, sent two confidants to Kalaburagi to gather information about the incident.
Records reveal that Gandhi expressed his distress over the assault on the shrine and addressed the matter in his publication, Young India. Prof. Bidve highlighted that Gandhi traveled to Kalaburagi on February 22, 1927, to pay his respects to Lord Sharnabasaveshwar and to offer consolation to Poojya Doddappa Appa for the shrine’s recent tragedy.
Gandhi, addressing a gathering of devotees at the shrine, condemned the attack and extended his sympathies directly to Poojya Doddappa Appa. Prof. Bidve emphasized that both Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri exemplified the principles of ideal leadership, embodying simplicity and integrity throughout their lives.
The centenary celebration promises to rekindle this rich historical legacy and foster a renewed appreciation of these distinguished figures and their contributions to the nation.
