Dharmasthala - the abode of Dharma

Dharmasthala can be literally translated as 'the abode of Dharma'. As per this name, one can find almost all manifestations of Dharma - duty, charity, justice, devotion, faith, etc. The entire town is a religious town considered sacred by Hindus and Jains. The main attraction of the city is Manjunath temple. It is a unique Shiva temple having Vaishnaivite (supposed to worship Lord Vishnu) priest and is administered by a Jain family. Let me explore this divine town in detail in this article.

Manjunath Temple

Manjunath Temple:

Manjunath temple is the main attraction of Dharmasthala. Thousands of devotees throng to this temple. You can always find a long queue of devotees at the temple entrance. The 16th-century temple resembles Kerala-style architecture; from the outside, it appears more like a Chettinad Palace than a temple. The temple vimana is adorned with gold. It is a tiny temple if you exclude the dining halls, waiting rooms, devotees' rooms, etc. The main shrine is dedicated to Shiv Linga, named Manjunatha. The icons of Annappa and Ganapati are found at the shrine's entrance. The next shrine is dedicated to the Goddess Ammavaru. The temple has just one prakara.

Bahubali

Bahubali:

Bahubali is the second most tourist attraction after Manjunath temple in Dharmasthala. The 39 feet monolithic statue of Bahubali, weighing 170 tonnes and standing on top of 13 feet platform, is an important pilgrimage for Jains. 

As per the legend, king Rishabha made his first son Bharata the king of Ayodhya and his second son Bahubali the king of Podanpur. (Rishabha is the first Jain Tirthankara. India is named after king Bharata and called 'Bharat'. ) 

Bharata got powerful weapons from the Devas and won almost all the kings except his brother Bahubali. Both fought in a fierce battle. Bharata was defeated; however, his life was spared. Suddenly, Bahubali realized the futility of war; he handed over the kingdom to his brother and became a Digambara Jain saint. He stood naked and did severe penance till he got enlightenment. 

The statue on this site depicts Bahubali standing naked and performing penance. The shrine on top of the small Ratnagiri hill can be reached by leisurely climbing steps or by road in a vehicle. It is located at a distance of around 1 km from the town bus stand. The statue was installed in 1982 AD. Since then, it has remained one of the most important tourist sites of Karnataka state.

A sculpture in the Chandranath temple wall

Chandranath Temple:

Chandranath temple is a beautiful and pleasant site. It is a Jain temple dedicated to Chandraprabhu Tirthankara. The temple wall contains small bas-relief images depicting the Jain stories. There is a small shrine for Padmavathy. The temple is on top of a small rocky and can be reached by climbing a few steps. 

Neliyadi Beedu:

Neliyadi Beedu is the house where the ancestors of the Jain Heggade family who administer Manjunath temple today. As per the legend, as per the request by four Dharmadevatas (Kalarkai, Kumaraswamy, Kalarahu and Kanyakumari) Bimanna Heggade left this house. It happened around 800 years ago. Since then, it has been believed that all those four devatas reside in this house. The house is always locked. One can get a glimpse of the house only from the outside. This site is located next to Chandranath Jain Temple.

Manjusha Car Museum:

Manjusha Car Museum is a surprise element in the holy town of Dharmasthala, where only temples are expected. The museum has a great collection of a lot of rare vintage cars.

Annappa Betta:

Annappa Betta is a temple located on a small hilltop at a distance of around 0.5 km from Manjunath temple. It can be reached in 30+ steps. Children and ladies are not allowed in this site. The temple has four shrines dedicated to four Dharmadevatas who visited the Jain family 800 years ago. There is no idol in any of these shrines. If one peeps through the window, a swing can be found inside a shrine. 

Go and visit this unique holy place called Dharmasthala.

Happy travelling.

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