Temples Of Dharmastala

The holy shrine of Sri Manjunathaswamy is a unique pilgrim centre situated in the midst of green fields and coconut palms, fringed by hills. Here is a Siva temple under the trusteeship of a Jain family, and pujas are performed by Madhwa priests. It is a rare temple visited by pilgrims of all communities. Civil disputes are amicably settled in the name of God. Dharmadhikari Sri Veerendra Heggade serves as the representative of Lord Manjunatha. The presence of Dharma Devathas, who have come to settle here centuries ago, is felt by every devout visitor. Long ago, there lived a pious Jain by name Birmanna Heggade. His residence was known as Nellayadi Beedu. One day the guardian angels of Dharma came to his house. He treated them honorably and offered his residence itself to them when they asked for it. They revealed to him that they were Dharma Devathas - Kalarahu, Kumaraswamy, Kanyakumari and Kalaki. They ordained Birmanna to build a temple, do pujas and celebrate festivals regularly. They would speak to them through God Annappa and promised to make the place a glorious centre for Dharma and righteousness. Birmanna did accordingly. A Lingam from Kadri near Mangalore was brought and consecrated in the shrine as Sri Manjunathaswamy. In the temple complex, there are shrines for Dharma Devathas and Lord Annappa. Thousands of visiting pilgrims are offered food in the temple daily. The annual Deepotsava is held during Nov-Dec. A huge monolithic statue of Lord Gomateshwara (11.9 metres high) is another major attraction at Dharmasthala. A painting gallery and small zoological park are maintained by the temple authorities. Access: Mangalore 75 km; Bangalore 350 km.