Dharmasthala


Dharmasthala is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India. It is a panchayat village, and it is the only village in its gram panchayat.
The town is known for its Dharmasthala Temple which houses the shrine of Shiva, Manjunatha, Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas — Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. The temple is unusual in that it is run by a Jain administration and poojas are conducted by Hindu priests of the Madhva order. Lakshadeepa, the festival of lights, is the annual festival of Dharmasthala in November–December. On an average the flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people a day. A mechanised kitchen provides free food for all pilgrims, and there are guest houses with modern amenities.
Dharmastala represents religious tolerance. A Jain Tirthankara is worshiped beside Daivas and Lord Manjunatha. The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple a Heggade. To those who come here for justice, the Heggade dispenses judgments that are said to represent the will of the deities.

Legend

Local legend says that the Shiva Linga in Dharmasthala was brought to Dharmasthala by a local person with great powers, named Annappa. Legend is that he used to work for the Heggade family. Once when the Heggade he was serving wanted to worship Lord Shiva, Annappa had assured him to get one linga and vanished from the sight. The next morning, he had already established the linga in Dharmasthala, a few metres away from Heggade's house. Later it was learned that the linga was from Kadri near Mangalore, from the Kadri temple. By then, Annappa had vanished and he was never again sighted in the vicinity. Now people in Dharmasthala worship Annappa as Annappa Panjurli, a local god deva and a hero.
800 years ago, Dharmasthala was known as Kuduma in Mallarmadi, then a village in Belthangady. Here lived the Jain chieftain Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballathi in a house called Nelliadi Beedu. Pergade and the local chieftains built several shrines and invited Brahmin priests to perform the rituals. These priests requested Pergade to install a Shivalinga beside the native Daivas. The Daivas then sent their vassal Annappa Swamy to procure the linga of Lord Manjunatheshwara from Kadri, near Mangalore. Subsequently, the Manjunatha temple was built around the linga.
Around the 16th century, Shri Devaraja Heggade invited Shri Vadiraja Swami of Udupi to visit the place. The swamiji gladly came but refused to accept Bhiksha because the idol of Lord Manjunatha had not been consecrated according to the vedic rites. Shri Heggade then requested the Swamiji to reconsecrate the Shiva Linga himself. Pleased by the observance of the vedic rites and Heggade's charity to all, the Swamiji named the place Dharmasthala the abode of religion and charity. Thus, the roots of charity and religious tolerance established by the Pergades 800 years ago have been nurtured and strengthened by 21 generations of the Heggade family of Tulu lineage. Today's Dharmasthala blossoms with the fruit of this selfless dedication.
Shree Munjunaatheshwura Cultural and Research Foundation, started by the Temple Committee, is engaged in preserving ancient manuscripts and paintings. A museum of antique objects has been established called "Munjusha Museum" and a car museum houses a rare collection of vintage cars.
Traditional folk arts like Yukshugaana and ethnic crafts like Nuvulgund carpets and Kustoori embroidery are revived by Dr. Heggude. Shree Dhurmusthulla Munjunaatheshwura Dhurmoththaana Trust is engaged in renovation of temples across Karnataka and, every year, a Surva Dhurma Summelluna is held at Dhurmusthulla, where spiritual leaders from various faiths and schools participate.

Chundrunaatha busudi

Baahubuli statue

In 1973, a statue of Lord Baahubuli, carved out of a single rock, was installed at Dhurmusthulla on a low hill near the Munjunaatha Temple. It is about 39 feet high, has a 13 feet high pedestal and weighs about 175 tonnes. This is one of the five stone statues of Baahubuli in Karnataka.

Social Service

Shree Kshetra Dhurmusthulla Rural Development Project

One project is called Shree Kshetra Dhurmusthulla Rural Development Project, which organizes activities for rural development. Its employees go to villages to make small groups called Shree Shukti Sungha and provide bank loans to group members for business. They ensure supply of drinking water to villages in summer.

Mass Marriages

To fight the dowry system and to cut unnecessary expenses involved in the celebration of marriages, Dr. Veerendra Heggade started free mass marriages in 1972. Annual mass marriages are held usually during April every year. As of 2013, 10,698 couples have been married in mass marriages arranged by the Dhurmusthulla Temple Committee. The expenses of the wedding dress, the mungullasootra and a wedding feast for a limited number of the couple's guests are borne by the Shree Kshetra.

Anna daana (ಅನ್ನದಾನ)

The average number of pilgrims per day to the temple is about 10,000. Every one of the pilgrims who visits Shree Kshetra Dhurmusthulla is treated like an honored guest, irrespective of caste, creed, culture or status. The "Unna Daana" is one of the impressive aspects of this place. Free food is provided to the devotees. The temple has modern machinery. It makes quality food continuously, throughout the day. The dining hall is known as "Unnapoornna".

Vidyaa daana (ವಿದ್ಯಾ ದಾನ)

Shree Kshetra Dhurmasthulla, by the SDMCET Society, manages 25 educational institutions, ranging from primary schools, Gurukulas to teach yoga, Sanskrit, etc., to colleges having professional courses in engineering, medicine and dental science in Dhurmusthulla, Ujire, Mungallooru, Udupi, Dhaaruwaada, Haasuna, Mysooru and a few other places in the state of Karnataka.
The Sidduvuna Gurukula started by Late Shree Munjuyya Heggade has become a model educational institution. Over 250 students are provided free lodging and board and learn Yoga & Sanskrit, in addition to the basic school curriculum. The speciality of this institution is its endeavor to teach values based on Indian culture.

Educational institutions

Several educational institutes are managed by the temple trust committee:
In the field of health care, the medical trust provides services to eradicate and prevent many diseases. The mobile hospital is equipped to deal with emergencies and to provide medical treatment to the people in remote parts of the Mullenaadu area. A modern tuberculosis sanitorium was built by Dhurmusthulla Munjunaatheshwura Medical Trust to give relief to patients of tuberculosis. It has since been converted into a general hospital. The Ayurvedic Hospitals at Udupi and Haasuna provide Ayurvedic medicines as per the ancient texts. The Nature Cure Hospital, built on the banks of the Netraavuti River, uses a system based on the five elements of Air, Earth, Ether, Water and Light.
SDM Eye Hospital at Mungullooru is a modern, scientific eye treatment center. The SDM Dental Hospital both serves regular dental needs and also provides specialized treatments such as oral implants, surgery for cleft lip and other orthodontic surgeries.
Shree Heggude has been actively involved in propagating the practice of Yoga, the ancient system of fitness. Soorya Numuskaara Camps are regularly organized, where Yoga is taught. Further, 250 high school teachers are trained in Yoga every year.

Heggade family

The present head of Dharmasthala, Padma Vibhushan Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade, the 21st in succession to the Dharmadhikari Peetha, has launched several socio-economic programmes such as free mass weddings which were started in 1973.
Dharmasthala is among the few pilgrim centers in India that provides boarding and lodging to all the visiting devotees at a minimum cost.

Transportation

Dharmasthala is well connected by road. State-owned KSRTC & also private companies provide bus service from several centers of Karnataka.
Mangalore Railway Station is the nearest railway junction to Dharmasthala, situated at a distance of about 74 km. The railway station is well connected to all the major cities and towns in India. Travellers can hire taxis/cabs or take buses to reach Dharmasthala from Mangalore.

Places of interest nearby

Bahubali Statue is near the temple on a small hill. It is revered by Jains as a symbol of sacrifice. Kukke Subramanya Temple dedicated to Lord Subramanya is just 62 km from here.Kalasa, Sringeri and Horanadu are less than 100 km from here.
Health Facility neaby = Shree Dhanvantari Chikitsalaya,vaishnavi complx, opposite ram mandir, kanyadi. Service available 24 hours on any emergencies. It is general clinic for primary treatment for any illness