In a first, 33-year-old Muslim to head Lingayat Mutt in Karnataka's Gadag district

Bengaluru, Feb 20: A 33-year-old Muslim youth is all set to head a Lingayat math in Gadag district of north Karnataka, reports Times of India.

Diwan Sharief Rahimansab Mulla, who will be incepted on February 26, as the head, or Mathadheesha of the Murugharajendra Koraneshwara Shantidhama Matha in Asuti village which is linked to the 350-year-old Koraneshwara Sansthan Math in Khajuri village in Kalaburagi.

The Matha is one of the 361 maths of Sri Jagadguru Murugharajendra Matha of Chitradurga, which draw lakhs of followers from across Karnataka and Maharashtra, besides other parts of the country.

The new Mathadheesha Diwan Sharief said he was influenced by the teachings of 12th -century reformer Basavanna since childhood and would work towards his ideals of social justice and harmony.

Influenced by Shivayogi's discourses in Asuti, Sharief's father, the late Rahimansab Mulla, had donated two acres of land to set up the Matha in the village. Shivayogi said the Asuti Matha has been functioning for 2-3 years now and construction of the premises was on.

Sharief is married and father to three daughters and a son and appointment of a family man as pontiff is still uncommon in Lingayat maths.