* Mukto-mona. com, an Indian Skeptic's explanation of miracles: By Yuktibaadi, compiled by Basava Premanand

* Basavakalyan, a major centre of social and religious movement in 12th century by Basava, it consists of temples in Chalukyan architecture

Described by BBC as India's leading guru buster, Basava Premanand has " been honoured by the government with its highest award for the promotion of scientific values among the public.

After the death of Abraham Kovoor in 1978, Basava Premanand continued his challenge by offering INR 100, 000 to any person who would demonstrate any psychic, supernatural of paranormal ability of any kind under satisfactory observing conditions.

Basava created much controversy by actively ignoring the societal rules associated with the caste system, which he wished to abolish.

The Anubhava Mantapa established by Basava laid down the foundation of social democracy.

Basava believed that man becomes great not by his birth but by his conduct in the society.

( Similar challenges have been posed by Basava Premanand and James Randi.

After the death of Dr. Kovoor, Basava Premanand continued his challenge by offering Rs. 100, 000 ( One Hundred Thousand Indian Rupees ) to any person who will demonstrate any psychic, supernatural or paranormal ability of any kind under satisfactory observing conditions.

Important trains operated by this zone are: Karnataka Express ( Bangalore – New Delhi ), Rani Chennamma Express ( Bangalore – Kolhapur ), Gol Gumbaz Express ( Bangalore – Solapur ), Basava Express ( Bangalore – Gulbarga – Bagalkot ), Jan Shatabdi Express ( Bangalore – Hubli ), Siddaganga Intercity Express ( Bangalore – Dharwad ), Udyan Express ( Bangalore – Mumbai ), Karnataka Sampark Kranti Express ( Bangalore – New Delhi ), Hampi Express ( Bangalore – Hubli ), Bangalore – Chennai Mail, Lalbagh Express ( Bangalore – Chennai ), Shatabdi Express ( Bangalore – Chennai ), Tippu Express ( Bangalore – Mysore ), Rajya Rani Express ( Mysore – Bangalore ) and the Vasco Da Gama – Hazrat Nizammudin Delhi Goa Express.

The Virasaiva religion brought in to practice by Lord Basavanna in 12th century & lord Kottureswara was the continuity of same sharana parampare established by Basava and sharanas.

It is said that Basava, rebelled against the rigid practices of the caste system prevalent in mainstream Hindu society, and eventually began new philosophy of Lingayatism with a casteless society at its core.

While Basava understood shatsthala as a process with various stages to be attained in succession, Channabasavanna, Basava's nephew, differed radically from his uncle and held that a soul can reach its salvation in any stage.

The prabhulingaleele, Basava purana, channabasavapurana, basavarajavijaya are few of the epics under virashaiva tradition

Basava said that the roots of social life are embedded not in the cream of the society but in the scum of the society.

In the twelfth century Basava founded the ViraShaiva school or Virashaivism.

and " Om Sri Guru Basava Lingaya Namaha " is the Dwadahsa Mantra.

Basava created this as a protest against the feudalistic ideologies present at that time.

Basava exhorted all wearers of Ishta linga to practice daasoha without reservation.

Saints and Sharanas like Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi, Siddarama and Basava were at the forefront of this development during the 12th century.

Basava established Anubhava Mantapa to establish spiritual social and economic democracy.

While the Indian society had converted workmanship into castes, Basava reversed the castes into workmanship again.

The Society differentiated people based on birth while Basava offered equal status to all.

Speaking of Basava: Lingayat religion and culture in South Asia.

Basava Premanand ( 17 February 1930-4 October 2009 ) was a skeptic and rationalist from Kerala, India.

Basava () ( also known as Bhakti Bhandari Basavanna () or Basaveshwara (), ( 1134 – 1196 )) was a philosopher, Statesman and a social reformer from present-day Karnataka, India.

Basava fought against the inhuman practice of caste system, which discriminated people based on their birth, and certain rituals in Hinduism.

Basava spread social awareness through his poetry known as Vachanaas.

" Brahminical thought " interpret the Vachanaas as essence of Vedic knowledge while attempting to explain the social revolution, Basava was able to bring in.

But this theory, however, fails to explain why other well known religious leaders like Shankaracharya and Madhwacharya, who were very well acquainted with Vedic knowledge did not address the issues, that Basava did in later part of the history in 12th century.

Basava, like Gautama Buddha, did not preach people the intricate aspects of spirituality ; but, he taught people how to live happily in a rational social order later came to be known as Sharana movement.

It is believed that Lord Basava was born into a Shaiva Brahmin called madarasa and Madalambike family residing in a small town, Basavana Bagewadi in Bijapur district of northern Karnataka state, India in 1134 AD.

Basava, said to have grown up in an orthodox Hindu religious household and rejected many practices in Vedic society based on some of the religious Scriptures called Agamas, Shastras, and Puranas in Sanskrit language.

Bammera Potanaamatya ( 1450 – 1510 ) is best known for his translation of the Bhagavata Purana from Sanskrit to Telugu.

In one type of story, the world is born from a world egg ; such stories include the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, the Chinese story of Pangu or the Indian Brahmanda Purana.

The epic Bhagavatha Purana is the chronology of Vishnu's ten major incarnations ( there are in total twenty six incarnations ): Matsya ( fish ), Kurma ( turtle ), Varaha ( boar ), Narasimha ( lion-faced human ), Vamana ( an ascetic in the form of a midget ), Parasurama ( a warrior Brahmin ), Rama, Krishna, Gautam Buddha ( later buddhists separated themselves from Hindus ), Kalki ( a predicted warrior on a white horse who would come in this yuga ) whose appearance also signals the beginning of the end of the epoch.

This stotra ( hymn which praises ) occurs in the Brahmanda Purana ( Old epic of the universe ) in the Chapter on discussion between Hayagreeva and Agasthya.

The earliest written account of Elaborate codes of hygiene can be found in several Hindu texts, such as the Manusmriti and the Vishnu Purana.

Gavin Flood connects the rise of the written Purana historically with the rise of devotional cults centring upon a particular deity in the Gupta era: the Puranic corpus is a complex body of materials that advance the views of various competing cults.

It is written in the Harivamsa Purana for Pusyamitra Sunga that an Audbhijja Kaashyapa Dwija Senani will spread the tradition of Yajna again.

The Bhagavata Purana states that the Mahabharata was written specifically for women and also men who were not in the priestly Brahmin caste:

Krista Purana, written by the Goa-based Christian missionary Thomas Stephens, was first published in 1616.

In a Hindu Purana, it is written that it was Lord Shiva who handed the flag to Lord Vishnu, and then Lord Vishnu to Lord Indra, for the purpose for battling demons.

Ajitha Purana is the shortest Jaina purana in Kannada and is written about Ajithanatha, the second Tirthankara.