Kudalasangama (also written as Kudala Sangama) in India is an important center of pilgrimage for people of the Lingayat faith. It is located about 15 km from the Almatti Dam in Bagalkot district of Karnataka state. The Krishna river and Ghataprabha river merge here and flow east towards Srisaila (another pilgrim center) in state of Andhra Pradesh. The Aikya Mantapa or the holy Samādhi of Basavanna, the founder of the Lingayat faith along with Linga, which is believed to be self-born (Swayambhu), is situated here. The Kudala Sangama Development Board takes care of the maintenance and development of this place.

Tourism

The main attractions in and around Kudala Sangama are

• Sangamanatha Temple, it is in Chalukya style.
• Aikya linga of Basaveshwara
• Basava Dharma Peetha's Mahamane Campus
• Poojavana. The Poojavana with neat paths amidst trees, a mini forest.
• The colossal Sabha BhavanaIt is a spacious auditorium with a seating capacity for 6,000. The exquisite doorways on four sides named after Gangambike, Nilambike, Channabasavanna and Akka Nagamma, surround the huge grey dome in the centre.
• The tall Basava Gopura slated to house the Basava International Centre, 200 ft high symmetrical tower looks imposing.
• Museum: The ashrama meant for visitors to stay also has a museum and a collection of sculptures related to Basavanna and history of Karnataka state.

Vishwaguru Basavanna

Lord Basava the great prophet and social reformer. He was born in Bagewadi(Basavana Bagewadi), a small village in Bijapur District, in North Karnataka, also called as Ingaleshwara Bagewadi. Agrahara was an important place in town. The house of Madiraja the chief of the township was situated here. Basaveshwara was born to Madiraja and Madambike on third day of Vyshakha month of Anandanama year in Rohini star, according to the hindu calendar. [The year coincides with 1134 A.D.] Basavanna was a great saint, is considered Guru by some and some believe in him as an incarnation of Nandi, Lord Shiva's greatest devotee. This great soul lived in the 12th century. A true visionary of his time and a revolutionary who started a new religion Ligayatism or also known as Veershaivism, which literally means 'The brave followers of Shiva'. Basavanna's ultimate aim was to make this fundamental right available to each and everyone. Basavanna, keeping Welfare as the ultimate aim, he expedited programmes to take religion to the people. By preaching and writing religious literature in (Kannada). His samadhi is at Kudalasangama.

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Photos: Manohar,Mayur,Pavan,Praveen,Shridhar,Sandesh(Sutthona Banni Team-Sirsi) & Manjunath Kulakarni-Gulbarga (SB Team)
Information Courtesy: Wikipedia