A major religious scandal has erupted in Choudahalli village of Gundlupet taluk, Chamarajanagar district, after it was revealed that the head of the Gurumalleshwara Virakta Mutt, Nijalingaswami, is in fact a Muslim man named Mohammad Nisar. The controversy has not only exposed his real identity but has also shocked the local community with videos showing him indulging in alcohol, non-vegetarian food, and sexually inappropriate behaviour with a young man.
The incident has triggered widespread condemnation, with villagers and religious followers accusing the man of exploiting the Veerashaiva-Lingayat faith and desecrating the sanctity of a spiritual post. For the past one and a half months, the man had been functioning as the seer of the newly established Gurumalleshwara Mutt in Choudahalli village, deceiving locals under the guise of a spiritual leader.
A shocking web of deception
Mohammad Nisar, a native of Shahapur in Yadgir district, had reportedly taken Jangam Deeksha under the guidance of Basavaprabhu Swamiji in Basavakalyan and assumed the new identity of Nijalingaswami. Presented as a preacher of Basava philosophy, he was appointed as the head of the Choudahalli Mutt by Mahadevaprasad, a local philanthropist who established the mutt to spread Basava teachings in the region.
For weeks, the man conducted religious rituals, delivered spiritual sermons, and earned the trust of local devotees. However, his carefully built image began to crumble after locals noticed inconsistencies in his background.
Identity unmasked, disturbing videos surface
The turning point came when villagers acquired a copy of his SSLC marks card, which clearly listed his name as Mohammad Nisar and his religion as Islam. Soon after, more disturbing revelations followed, a video began circulating on social media showing Nisar behaving inappropriately with a young man, believed to be in a drunken state. Photographs showing him consuming liquor and eating meat in his room further enraged the community.
Villagers were quick to confront the impostor, and his attempts to deflect the truth fell apart when he admitted to purchasing a Muslim cap just days earlier. Facing mounting pressure and social outrage, he quietly vacated the mutt premises, claiming he would renounce the position.
Betrayal of faith and culture
Outraged locals have condemned what they describe as a gross betrayal of trust and faith. The fact that a non-Hindu man misused a sacred Veerashaiva Lingayat seat has sparked debates not only about religious infiltration but also about the lack of vetting mechanisms in religious institutions. Many see this incident as a direct insult to the legacy of Basavanna and the values the mutt was meant to uphold.
“This is not just a case of religious fraud, it’s an attack on our identity and spiritual integrity,” said a local devotee, demanding action against those who appointed him without background checks.
Social media has been flooded with criticism, with calls for legal action against Nisar and an internal review by religious bodies to prevent similar incidents. The controversy has deeply hurt the sentiments of Veerashaiva Lingayat followers, many of whom are demanding that the mutt be re-consecrated to remove what they call the “impurity” caused by the impostor’s actions.
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