Eshwar Mantur, writer, public speaker and founder of the Basava Jnyana Gurukul orphanage, died in Honnur-Madhurkhandi village of Bagalkot district on Thursday.
Apart from traditional education, the institution offered training in computer usage and music. He also organised Sharana Sanskruti Utsav in the ashram ever year. He wrote several books on Basava philosophy and began touring the State giving lectures on the 12th Century Vachana movement. He released several cassettes and CDs that contained deliberations on various Sharanas.