Jagadguru Mate Mahadevi, a prominent woman pontiff of Lingayat community and seer of Lingayat matha Basava Dharma Peetha was born on 13 March 1946.
She was the first woman Jagadguru of the Lingayat community.
Mahaevi was inspired by the 12th century reformer poetess Akka Mahadevi who wrote vachanas, after which she started writing herself.
By 1983 she had published twenty books and started an educational and religious institution by the name of Jaganmata Akka Mahadevi Ashrama in Karnataka, whose aim was providing education and spiritual upliftment to girls and women.
Mahadevi was at the forefront of every movement related to the propagation of Basava and Sharana principles. She also wanted separate religion status for the Lingayat community and had angered Veerashaiva seers and leaders.
Among her many books is Basava Tatva Darshana, on the life and teachings of Basava, a 12th-century social reformer and philosopher who fought against the caste system.
