The ideas of Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha, Bellary has come up in 5th all India Veerasaiva Mahasabha which was held in Bellary in 1909 from December 27th to30th. The Sangha was started with the blessings and guidance of Sri H.H. Hanagal Kumarswamygalu and Jagadguru Sri Siddhalinga Shivacharya Swamiji of Ujjainy. It was formally registered as “Madras Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha” on March 7th
1918 under the president ship of Sri Kowthal Gurushanthappa and Vice president ship of Sri Togari Veeramallappa. It was later changed to “Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha”, Bellary, after the district was merged with Mysore state in 1933. The first activity of the Sangha was running of a free hostel for Veerasaiva Community Boys at Sri Sakkari Karadappa Chowki and later at Gandhinagara with the direct help of Sri Togari Veeramallappa. Right from the inception, the Sangha has concentrated its efforts in the vital areas like education, service to our motherland and language. The Sangha stood for secular values, Non Commercial attitude and absolute self fewer motives and dedicated to fulfill the dreams of Bellary Dist. people in such an astonishing and rapid way. We wish to quote at least one example in each field where Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha has done service in each of these fields. The Sangha strived to develop Kannada language in this part of Karnataka. In 1920’s though Kannada speaking community was in majority, there were only Telugu medium schools and not even one Kannada medium school in the entire district. Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha, started Heeradasugamma Kannada primary school on 8th of April in 1924. This was the greatest contribution of the Sangha Bellary Dist. This also shows Sangha’s commitment right from inception towards primary education. Another long felt need of this area was higher education. There was no college at all in the entire dist. Only affluent could go to other places. What about the poor? In 1942 on the occasion of its silver jubilee celebration, it committed itself to contribute in the area of higher education and fulfill the need of Bellary Dist. For that is needed whooping three lakh rupees, hundred acres of land and a spacious building. Sangha dared with the help of community. The result is the birth of Veerasaiva college in 1945. It had to face innumerable hurdles to make dream generosity of Bellary people. Because of Sri Y. Mahabaleswarwppa and sympathetic vice-chancellor of Madras University Sir Laxmana Swamy Mudaliar and also innumerable munificent donors, it could be possible. In this process, Bellary has got another high school, the first under private management that too in Kannada medium i.e., Setra Gurushanthappa high school, with the help of large donation of entire property by Mariyamma. From this stage onwards, the Sangha was firmly on its saddle and could do much more in other areas which it has committed long back, i.e., women education, rural education and Technical education. In the area of women education, it has opened Allum Sumangalamma College for women in Bellary in the year 1969 for which Sri Allum Karibasappa donated one lakh rupees. It has got a big hostel, which helped scores of parents to send their daughters for higher education without any worry. It is the greatest service by Sangha to the cause of women. The Sangha has also opened a high school for Girls by The name of Kittur Rani Chennamma High School. Veerasaiva Vidyavardaka Sangha has never shown any kind of commercial motive in running its schools nor expanding its territory. The territorial expansion is always in the most unprofitable areas i.e., the most rural area of Bellary Dist. The shining examples of this attitude are Vijayanagara Collage, Hospet, Kottureswara collage, Kottur, Gangavathi Bhagyamma rural collage, Huvinahadagali, Ambli Dodda Baramappa college, Harapanalli. Munirabad all of them developed junior colleges. The collages have come up because of large donations by Veerasaiva community people and other of those areas for the sake of society. All this expansion within the span of a few years could be possible by the able guidance of Sri Allum Karibasappa and also with the enthusiasm of Sri D. Mariyappa, who was the then principal of Veerasaiva collage, Bellary. Along With these achievements, Sangha also took care of technical Education to help the youth to forge into international competition. Same of these institutions are Kotturswamy college of education, Bellary. Unki Sanna Rudrappa law college, Togari Veeramallappa pharmacy college, Bellary named after Togari Mallappa in grateful recognition of his donation of land on the present women’s college is located. The other big step in technical education is opening of Vijayanagar engineer college, Bellary in 1980. It is one of the reputed colleges in the state. The Sangha has opened another engineering college in Hospet by name Proudadevaraya Institute of Technology. It has started M.C.A., in Vijayanagar engineering college, Bellary. It started M.B.A., course in V.N.E. collage affiliated to V.T.U thus it stepped into post graduate courses also. Now Vijayanagar engineering college is renamed as Rao Bahadur Y. Mahabaleswara engineering college
The Sangha is ever expanding, growing and consolidating in the service of mankind…
