a ▁Ram anu ja , ▁considered ▁a ▁saint ▁in ▁Sri ▁Sam pr ad aya , ▁who ▁fled ▁per sec ution ▁by ▁the ▁Sh a iva ▁Ch ola ▁dynast y ▁of ▁T amil ▁N adu , ▁spent ▁from ▁ 1 0 9 8 - 1 1 2 2 ▁in ▁K arn ata ka . ▁He ▁first ▁lived ▁in ▁T ond an ur ▁and ▁then ▁moved ▁to ▁Mel uk ote ▁where ▁the ▁Ch el u van ar ay ana ▁Sw amy ▁Temple ▁and ▁a ▁well - organ ised ▁math a ▁were ▁built . ▁He ▁was ▁patron ized ▁by ▁Ho ys ala ▁V ish nu vard h ana . ▁U du pi , ▁S hr inger i , ▁G ok arna ▁and ▁Mel uk ote ▁are ▁well ▁known ▁places ▁of ▁S ansk rit ▁and ▁V edic ▁learning . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century , ▁social ▁re forms ▁emer ged ▁in ▁northern ▁K arn ata ka ▁as ▁a ▁protest ▁against ▁the ▁rig id ity ▁of ▁the ▁prev ail ing ▁social ▁and ▁cas te ▁system . ▁Le ading ▁figures ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁such ▁as ▁Bas ava , ▁Ak ka ▁Mah ade vi ▁and ▁All ama ▁P rab hu ▁established ▁the ▁An ub h ava ▁Mant apa ▁where ▁L ing ay at ism ▁was ▁exp ounded . ▁ ▁Near ly ▁ 1 7 % ▁population ▁of ▁K arn ata ka ▁belongs ▁to ▁L ing ay at ▁sect . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁Government ▁of ▁K arn ata ka ▁has ▁given ▁its ▁nod