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Devara Daasimayya, was an Indian mid-11th centurypoet and vachanakaara inKannada. He was born in Mudanuru, a village inShorapur Taluk,Yadagiri district in Karnataka. A weaver by profession, his village had a Ramanatha temple among its many temples, dedicated toShiva as worshiped byRama. That is why Dasimayya's pen name (ankita nama) is Ramanatha, meaning Rama's Lord, i.e. Shiva.
Dasimayya'svachanas are dedicated to Ramanatha. He was one of the earliest propagator of Hinduism in India. He was a staunch worshipper of Shiva.
According to the legend, Dasimayya was performing intenseascetic practices in ajungle, when he claimedShiva appeared to him. He allegedly told him to work in the practical world. As a result, Dasimayya renounced his practices and took up the trade of aweaver. He is also known as Jedara Dasimayya, "Dasimayya of the weavers".[1] Today there is a large community of weavers calledDevanga spread across the southern states ofIndia who follow devara Dasimayya.[2]
Today, popular tradition identifies several places where Dasimayya set up his weaver's looms in Mudanuru.
Dasimayya married Duggale, who grew up in Shivapura. He later became ateacher, eventually giving initiation to the wife of the localChalukya king Jayasimha, Suggale.[3]
A street in Bengaluru has been renamed after Dasimayya. After much opposition from Indian National Congress, on 12th October 2022, Jumma Masjid Street in the heart of Bengaluru was renamed "Sree Devara Dasimayya Road".
