Prominent Lingayat seer Maate Mahadevi passes away

Bengaluru: Maate Mahadevi, a prominent woman pontiff of Lingayat community and seer of the 'Basava Dharma Peetha', died at a private hospital here Thursday following cardiac arrest, doctors said.

She was at the forefront of the movement demanding separate religion status for the Lingayat community that erupted in the state in 2017-18.

Manipal Hospitals Chairman Dr H Sudarshan Ballal said Maate Mahadevi, 74, was critically ill and admitted on March 8 at Manipal Hospitals. She died at 4.45 pm, he added.

She had prolonged renal illness and was on advanced life support system since admission, Ballal said in a statement.

"She required multiple organs and life support including ventilation, BP support, and dialysis. Her condition was extremely critical and she was receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics for sepsis," he said.

Installed as 'Jagadguru' in the 1970s, Maate Mahadevi launched several educational and religious institutions and published several books.

The last rites will be conducted at Kudalasangama on Friday, sources said.