Dharmasthala
About the city
Located at a distance of 110 km's from Udupi, Dharmasthala is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in Karnataka.Dharmasthala is host to well known Shiva temple known popularly known as "Manjunatha".Dharmasthala is located on the banks of river Nethravati.Lush green forests and western ghats surrounding the temple makes this place unique.Worshipped by millions Dharmasthala Manjunatheswhara is known to be as sacred as Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati.There is a famous saying in Kannada which is "Duddu bidada Venkataramana...Maatu bidada Manjunatha" the first in reference to Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati, second in reference to Lord Manjunatha of Dharmasthala. Apart from the temple the 39 feet tall statue of Bhagvan Bahubali, installed on the top of the hill adds to the attraction.
His love for preserving Indian cultural heritage has yielded a vast collection of Indian stone & metal sculptures, paintings, items of jewellery, objects of worship and utilitarian objects created by the craftsman of the coastal area. Manjusha Museum is dearer to his heart and this collection is the outcome of 35 years of his dedicated effort. His collection does not just stop at the heritage objects but also brings the objects that were part of the scientific development of the country. His keen interest in photography enabled him to acquire the smallest to the largest size of the cameras. Another passionate interest of Dr. Heggade is the Vintage Collection, which draws the attention of people of many countries. This part of the collection provides source material for those who want to conduct research on the various aspects of our civilization.
The Manjusha collection not only gladdens the hearts of the visitors, but also educates them to a great extent. The sight of objects like domestic vessels, ritual objects, toys and games and even manuscripts which are very familiar to them arouse a new awareness amongst the visitors from neighboring places. They get motivated and make up their minds either to donate the antique objects in their possession to Manjusha Museum or to preserve them with care. The entire collection until now has remained carefully protected and is accessible to the pilgrims and scholars alike. Manjusha Museum at Dharmasthala is a veritable treasure house of lovingly preserved pieces of history.
It may be mentioned here with humility and sincerity that the cardinal purpose of bringing together the Indian heritage objects in the collection of Manjusha Museum is to provide divine experience and aesthetic delight to the viewers.
Ancient temple chariots are yet another portion of our heritage that draw the attention of Shri Heggade. These magnificent juggernauts with their carvings and decorations have often suffered neglect and begun to be looked upon as white elephants. Such temple chariots are brought to Dharmasthala and restored to their original grandeur by dedicated craftsmen so that people may once again admire the beauty of these chariots of the gods.
The ancient scripts are deciphered by scholars and experts and translated into modern languages so that the gems of ancient literature may once again find their true place in Indian literature. The Sri Manjunatheshwara Cultural Research Foundation of the Kshethra Dharmasthala has over 5,000 manuscripts of considerable antiquity in Sanskrit, Kannada, Tulu and a couple manuscripts in Prakrit and Tamil. About 2,500 manuscripts in Sanskrit are on Valmiki's Ramayanam, Bhaskaracharya's Jyotisa Siddantha Shiromane. Bana's Nataka and a host of manuscripts on Upanishads and Sastras. The Section also possesses over 400 Tulu manuscripts including some on Yakshagana prasangas. According to Mr. G. M. Umapati Shastri who is in charge of the Research Foundation there are 160 manuscripts on Yakshagana alone.
A copy of the Holy Bible translated from the Latin Vulgate and edited with notes by the Rev. Geo Leo Haydock and published in the United States in 1609 is among the rare and out-of-print books of the foundation. Sri D. Veerendra Heggade says there is a move to microfilm the entire collection.
In this priceless collection, there is a whole section devoted to an amazing variety of horse drawn carriages and antique cars. Maintained in pristine condition, these vintage beauties are, even today ready to take the road.
The word "Dharma" traditionally means religion, ritual, duty, righteousness, and alms. It also implies justice, truthfulness, freedom from fear, faith, solace, fulfillment and peace.
Dharmasthala is the perfect embodiment of the word "Dharma" for it displays every shade of meaning with which the word is imbued. The greatness of Dharmasthala, however is the fact that it has added an active element to "Dharma", such that it touches the lives of people with a transformational directness that is unique.
Dharmasthala represents religious tolerance wherein caste, creed and faith of pilgrims are no bars. For here, the Jain Theerthankara is worshipped on the same consecrated grounds as the native Daivas and Lord Manjunatha (Lord Shiva). The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple is Heggade, a Jain by faith. Altogether forming a confluence of faiths that harmonize in belief of the Omnipotent.
Dharmasthala is the scale that does not tip in favour of a lawyer's glib tongue. Here, without any legal formality or argument the Heggade dispenses justice, acting in the tradition of his ancestral role as the Heggade and representing the presiding deities.
Dharmasthala is an Oasis, where succour, solace and hope abound in the serenity of the temple and in the free hostelries that provide food and shelter. And to those that come in curiosity, Dharmasthala is a miracle of paradoxes. Here different faiths co-exist in harmony just as traditions make room for experimental services, High or low, rich or poor, devout or atheist, at Dharmasthala all are equal.
Dharmasthala has not been content being a source of inspiration to the devout. Having expanded the meaning of Dharma to encompass the advancement of society at large, it has played an active role in bettering the lives of communities far and wide.Its initiatives have aimed at renewing the faith and hope within, so that people may be helped to help themselves.