Guru Basavanna founded a new Relegion called " Lingayata". Few contemporaries like Siddharama called it as "Basava Dharma" as it was founded by Guru Basavanna is a non-Hindu, non-Vedic Faith for following reasons: - Hinduism has no one single founder where as Lingayatism has Lord Basavanna as its founder-prophet. - Hinduism based on the preachings of Vedas, Agamas, Bhagawadgita, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Bhagawata, etc. where as Basavanna questioned the authority of all these Hindu Scriptures and rejected many of the tenets contained therein. Vachana literature which opposed four-fold caste system, untouchability, polytheism, inequality and preached equality, monotheism etc. is the authoritative source of knowledge for Lingayats. - Main ritual of Hinduism is Homa, Yajna and Sacrifice. Lingayat religion totally rejects and opposes such rituals. - Hinduism considers places like Kashi, Tirupathi etc as holy and rivers like Ganga, Yamuna etc as sacred. It believes visiting of such places and taking dip in holy rivers will absolve all sins committed. Lingayatism does not consider any such places on earth as holy and any river or pond as sacred and mere dip in water will absolve all sins. Concept of sin and merit in Hinduism and Lingayatism is completely different. - Lingayats do not chant either Geeta or Gayatri, do not worship either Ganga or Govu. - Hinduism believes in 5 pollutions- pollution of birth, death, caste, menstruation and orts. Lingayatism rejects these 5 pollutio
