BRIEF CULTURAL HISTORY OF BASAVAKALYANA

Book excerpt: Religion has played a very important role in India from remotest times. It has moulded the individual life and has greatly influenced the social and cultural life also. In fact in India religion has been an inseparable part of the life of an individual as also of the society as a whole. There is religion to believe that even in pre and Post-historical man pursued some religious practices or the other though it is difficult to find out their exact nature. Right from the Vedic day's religion has served as the foundation of social and cultural life of the Indian people1. The Chalukyas were a Scythian race, and derived their origin from one of the four classes of Buddhist followers called Chailaka'. They claimed their descent from Manu through Hariti, and were known as Agnikulas, from their devotion to the worship of fire. They were included in the thirty-six races of the Kshattriyas, and belonged to the lunar family.