The problem started there, isn’t it. For many people fighting against Dharmasthala, this is the core issue. Dethrone the administrative family, hand-over the temple to either the government or bull-doze it (yes, people have actually said that) and then the war is won. Why is the Heggade so powerful? Why should that family be standing at the helm of what the Dharmasthala temple is capable of – as a centre of faith and that of social importance?
Here. Allow me to answer.
800 years ago at the Nelyadi Beedu, five guardian spirits (Dharma Daiva) ascended from some cosmic space and asked the village chieftain to let them stay there. They came to Dharmasthala, which was then known as Kuduma, because they saw that the ruling chieftain and his wife – Barmanna Pergade and Ammu Ballalti presided over a great deal of social welfare activities as prescribed by the tents of Jainism. The couple overlooked the administration of the ancient Chandranatha Swamy temple of Dharmasthala and carried out Anna daana, Abhaya daana, Aushada daana and Vidya daana on a regular basis.
Convinced that this is a place where good can always happen, the Dharma Daiva asked to stay at Nelyadi Beedu. The chieftain couple welcomed them into their home and vacated the place so that the guardian spirits could stay there forever – which is why Nelyadi Beedu, still vacant, is the nexus of every religious activity at Dharmasthala. In exchange for the benevolence, the chieftain was conferred the titled ‘Heggade’ (Pergade in Tulu) by the Dharma Daiva and asked to stand among people as their representative and expand the scope of good deeds that happened through them.
Annappa Swamy is the right-hand man (ಬಂಟ) who always accompanies the Dharma Daiva. He came with them, and he was granted a position atop a nearby hill too. Annappa is an ardent devotee of Manjunatha Swamy, so he brought the Shivalinga from Kadri and situated it here at Kuduma, which is now the famous Manjunatha temple of Dharmasthala.
Amazing isn’t it, that the Chandranatha Swamy basadi and the tenets of Jainism are the foundation of the world renowned Manjunatha Swamy temple, and the expansive good deeds that happen through here. The Heggade lineage is 21 generations old now, and the family has spent lifetimes carrying out the revelations of the Dharma Daiva. This is the story of amalgamation of two faiths on the foundation of truth, service and humanity, both bringing their unique perspectives together to form a phenomenal whole.
Let me also say some practical things in simple, clear words:
The temple and everything associated it with are part of the ancestral lineage of the Heggade family. No government or third party can lay a claim on it.
They opened up the temple for everyone, the temple flourished, and they have been giving back enormously to the society since centuries. They are Karnataka’s biggest philanthropist. The presiding Heggade makes a choice every day to keep this going- know that he doesn’t have to.
Defaming the Heggade family and the temple is affecting them, yes, but in the long run it is affecting the society that has been benefitting immensely from the temple and its philanthropic activities. Please think before you speak. This is not about Jains or Hindus. This is simply about right and wrong.
PS: The image herewith is a painting made by Late Shri Manjayya Heggade, the grandfather of Dr. D Veerendra Heggade. The painting ever so beautifully depicts the arrival of the Dharma Daiva to Dharmasthala. There is Annappa Swamy too, bringing in Shivalinga. How wonderfully rich the heritage of this temple is. It is shameful that the ones who speak ill of it have not the slightest idea what they’re talking about.
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