The award is instituted by Murugha Math, a well-known religious institution in Karnataka propagating the teachings of 12th century reformer Basaveshwara. The math is situated in Chitradurga, about 200 km from Bangalore.The math head Shivamurthy Shivacharya Swami presented the award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 100,000 and a citation, to Usha at a function in Chitradurga late Sunday.

Accepting the award, Usha, popularly known as Payyoli Express and Golden Girl, said she had read about Basaveshwara and his teachings in her school days. The math has been conferring the award for the past 12 years. Previous awardees include social activists Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar, Swami Agnivesh, former police officer Kiran Bedi and actor Shabana Azmi.