Member of Legislative Council Sunilgouda Patil inaugurated the renovated Amaraganangala Linga Temple in Vijayapura on Friday.
The temple has 770 Shiva Lingas to commemorate the 770 Sharana associates of Basavanna in the Anubhava Mantapa of the 12th century.
Mr. Patil, who is also a director of BLDE Association, said that the BLDE (Deemed To Be University) took up work to renovate the temple at a cost of ₹1.51 crore.
He said that the Lingas are made of blackstone, unlike the earlier ones that were made of Shellikeri stones.
A year ago, Minister and BLDE Association chairman M.B. Patil vowed to renovate the memorial. The work was done in less than a year, to be inaugurated on Mahashivaratri this year, Mr. Patil said.
The Lingas in the temple are dedicated to the memory of Sharanas like Akka Mahadevi, Adayya, Nannayya, Sujynani Deva, Kalaketa Bommaiya, Ekantada Ramayya, among others. The original memorial was built as per the wishes of Sri Bantanala Shivayogi in 1960.
BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said that the memorial will add to the pilgrimage centres and tourist attractions in the city.
BLDE Association director Sangu Sajjan, Chief Administrative Officer R.B. Kotnal, Renuka Patil, Sharanabasava Varad, Mahantesh Biradar and others were present.
