Shiva Temple, Vaishnavite Priests, And Jain Administrators: All About Dharmasthala, The Karnataka Shrine At The Centre Of A Political Storm

As the controversy around Karnataka's Dharmasthala temple town has begun to unravel, investigators now suggest that the entire episode may have been a staged conspiracy. 

Reports coming out from Karnataka state that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) looking into the case has concluded that the skull dramatically presented in court by complainant CN Chinnayya was not evidence of a hidden graveyard but a preserved specimen taken from a research laboratory.

Chinnayya's testimony in July that hundreds of bodies were buried secretly in Dharmasthala triggered widespread outrage and searches across 17 sites in and around Dharmasthala. But the SIT's probe has instead led to Chinnayya's arrest itself and the identification of several associates accused of sheltering him or helping procure the specimen.

Officials said his statements were recorded on video and notices will soon be issued to those named.

Chinnayya, described as "visibly shaken" during medical examination, reportedly asked to be moved to jail, claiming threats from those who supplied the skull.

The case has since expanded, with police issuing notices to others, including Sujata Bhat, who had earlier claimed her daughter went missing in Dharmasthala before retracting her claim and saying she never had a daughter in the first place.

Politics on the issue has also gathered pace.

Alleging that there was a smear campaign against Dharmasthala, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has not only demanded a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the allegations of mass burials, but also announced that it would hold a Dharmasthala chalo rally on September 1 to press for such a probe.

Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru on Monday, Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra maintained that an NIA probe would instil confidence among the public and devotees who were concerned over the smear campaign.

Stating that sentiments of Hindus were hurt over the recent developments related to Dharmasthala, he called upon devotees across the State to participate in the 1 September rally.

The proposed plan for the day would see devotees in different areas of the State visit local temples in their towns before heading for Dharmasthala, where a rally would be organised in the afternoon.

Vijayendra warned forces which conspired against Dharmasthala could also conspire against other temples in a similar manner.

What is Dharmasthala and why is it important?

Located approximately 70 kilometres from Mangaluru in Dakshina Kannada district, and nestled between the strategic Shiradi and Charmady roads in Karnataka's Western Ghats, Dharmasthala is a sacred town that houses the Sri Kshetra Manjunatha Swamy temple. Lord Shiva is worshipped here as Manjunatha Swamy.

In common parlance, 'Dharmasthala' can refer to both the temple and the town housing it.

What makes Dharmasthala unique is that it is aa temple dedicated to Lord Shiva as its main deity, is administered by a Jain family for over eight centuries, and the rituals in the shrine are performed by Vaishnavite Brahmin priests.

The temple complex also houses the Shri Chandranatha Swamy Basadi, named after a Jain Tirthankara, where both Hindu and Jain deities are worshipped with equal reverence.

Annually, Dharmasthala attracts lakhs of pilgrims.

Who is Veerendra Heggade?

Dr. Veerendra Heggade is the current dharmadhikari (hereditary administrator) of Dharmasthala, a position he has held for five decades since taking over from his father, at the young age of 20, in 1968. He is the 21st in the lineage of Heggades—the Jain family entrusted with the temple's administration over 800 years ago.

In his role as dharmadhikari, Heggade is considered the representative of the deity Manjunatha Swamy himself, with his word carrying the weight of divine authority for countless devotees.

Clad in white, he holds court at designated hours, patiently listening to visitors who come seeking justice, advice, medical aid, or solutions to disputes. His decisions are respected as law by many, and his actions have set benchmarks for temple administration across India.

Beyond his religious duties, Heggade has been instrumental in pushing socio-economic development in Dharmasthala.

In 2022, in recognition of his philanthropic work, Heggade was nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Notably, Heggade firmly believes in the autonomy of religious institutions, having once stated that: “Every temple has its own culture, own tradition, its own parampara. There is no question of the government intervening especially in the customs and traditions of any place. Wherever you see government intervention, you see a lot of confusion because it may be more democratic but it doesn’t serve the purpose. A democratic administration can be there but you can’t have a democratic house. In a house you have parents and elders, and similarly it is for rituals in a temple. I feel interference of the state in religious and spiritual activities are not in good taste".

This philosophy has enabled Dharmasthala to flourish without the bureaucratic constraints that hamper many other temples. In fact, Dharmasthala is looked up to as a model of temple management without government support.

The independence that non-interference of the state guarantees has seen the temple function not just in the religious and spiritual domain but as a hub of multiple social, cultural and economic activities.

To give one example, Dharmasthala has earned recognition as one of India's cleanest religious towns, declared so by India Today in 2016. (The town even operates a state-of-the-art sewage treatment plant that converts waste into agricultural manure).

The dharmadhikari’s role has been seen as one who facilitates the four ‘danas’ or services – annadaana (food), abhayadaana (security and solace), aushadhadaana (medicine) and vidyadaana (education).

Annadaana

The Annapoorna dining serves free meals to all visitors twice daily through an automated and hygienic kitchen system that has been lauded worldwide. During festival seasons, over one lakh people dine in a single day, making it one of the largest free food distribution centres in India.

Abhaya, Aushadha, and Vidyadaana

The temple trust operates over a hundred institutions across Karnataka, including the Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) and the Rural Development and Self Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI). These initiatives focus on empowering rural communities through education and skill development.

The SDM Medical Trust runs multi-specialty hospitals throughout India, providing free medical care to those in need. As visitors approach Dharmasthala through the Mahadwara at Ujire, they witness a stretch of several kilometers lined with educational institutions, naturopathy centers, and wellness facilities—a glimpse into the temple's massive social infrastructure.

Along with this, the temple's social initiatives include organising mass marriages where each couple receives the dharmadhikari's personal blessings, wedding expenses coverage, and mangalsutras for brides.

The 'Jana-Jagrathi' de-addiction programme has saved numerous rural families from substance abuse.

In addition to hearing people’s grievances, the dharmadhikari extends financial assistance to the underprivileged through scholarships, medical support, and pensions — disbursing, on some days, several lakh rupees.

Cultural Preservation

The Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Yakshagana Kala Kendra actively promotes the traditional dance form of Yakshagana through workshops and gurukulas that maintain the traditional guru-shishya teaching method. The temple has supported this art form for over two centuries.

The annual Lakshadeepotsava features sarvadharma sammelana (multi-religious meets) and sahitya sammelanas, celebrating literature and interfaith dialogue. These events have inspired notable figures like Kannada writer Shivaram Karanth.

Through the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Dharmothana (SDMD) Trust, Dharmasthala has also helped restore over 200 temples across the region, preserving architectural heritage and reviving local spiritual traditions.

Dharmasthala is thus among the largest and most important temples in the region. Likewise, the temple trust is one of the most important institutions of Karnataka.

It was this temple and institution that was sought to be defamed over the last 45-50 days.

Here's a brief timeline of how the 'case' against Dharmasthala came to be and how it unraveled.

July 11, 2025

A 'masked man', claiming to be a former sanitation worker at Dharmasthala temple, appeared before a local magistrate to record his statement where he alleged he was forced to bury dozens of bodies in suspicious cases between 1995 and 2014.

July 15, 2025

A woman filed a complaint claiming her daughter, a Manipal medical student, went missing in 2003

July 19, 2025

Karnataka government constitutes Special Investigation Team (SIT) under DGP Pronab Mohanty following media and activist pressure.

(Source-based reports from Karnataka now claim that the government was advised to first conduct a preliminary investigation before constituting an SIT, but chose to ignore the advice).

July 20, 2025

Dharmasthala temple administration issues statement supporting "fair and transparent" investigation

July 26, 2025

The 'masked man' appeared before the SIT in Mangaluru and was questioned for over five hours

July 29 - August 12, 2025

SIT carried out searches at 13 sites based on 'masked man's' inputs, but recovered remains at only one

August 21, 2025

Woman who claimed her daughter went missing now claimed she never had a daughter and made her previous claims at the behest of activists.

August 23, 2025

The 'masked man' is arrested by SIT for perjury after inconsistencies were found in his statements and documents. He is revealed to be one CN Chinnayya. He says he was pressured by unknown individuals to make false statements.

August 25, 2025

SIT says that skull dramatically presented in court by complainant CN Chinnayya was not evidence of a hidden graveyard but a preserved specimen taken from a research laboratory

What began as a sensational case of mass burials has unraveled into what investigators now describe as "a staged conspiracy".

The burning question now is--who were the persons behind the conspiracy to defame and harm the Dharmasthala temple and institution?