VEERENDRA HEGGADE Dharmasthala · Dharmadhikari
Born 25 November 1948 · Dharmasthala, Karnataka

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade

A Life Consecrated to Dharma

Hereditary administrator of the sacred Dharmasthala Temple, a visionary leader whose decades of service are associated with spiritual stewardship, philanthropy, rural development, education, and institution-building across Karnataka.

Impact at scale

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Generational Lineage

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Years of Service

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National Awards

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Institutions

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Rural Projects

HEGGADE

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade

The Heggade

The position of the Heggade of Dharmasthala is a unique one, unknown in any other religious center in India. In the tradition of this Kshetra, he represents Lord Manjunatha himself.

As a pious grahastha (householder), he carries the commands of the Daivas. Through discharging responsibilities true to his conscience, the Heggade acquires an aura of divinity which enables him to function as a spiritual representative.

Sacred Authority

"The Heggade is regarded as the voice of Lord Manjunatha, expected to dispense justice and advice to all."

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Lineage

The Legacy of Leadership

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade is the 21st in an unbroken line of Pergade dynasty Dharmadhikaris stretching back over centuries. Three generations directly precede him — each shaping Dharmasthala into what it would one day become.

Chandayya Heggade portrait
18th

Chandayya Heggade

Predecessor to Manjayya Heggade

The Dharmadhikari preceding Manjayya Heggade, continuing the Pergade family's centuries-old stewardship of the Manjunatha Swamy temple before the office passed to his nephew in 1918.

Chandayya Heggade portrait
19th

Manjayya Heggade

1918 – 1955

Succeeded his uncle Chandayya Heggade at the age of 29. He led the eradication of malaria in the temple town, established Dharmasthala's first high school, and founded the Sarva Dharma Sammelana in 1932 — an interfaith dialogue that continues annually to this day.

Chandayya Heggade portrait
20th

Ratnavarma Heggade

1955 – 1968

Father of Dr. Veerendra Heggade. A philanthropist, educationist, and legislator who began transforming Dharmasthala into a modern township, established an education trust, and commissioned the monolithic Bahubali statue later completed under his son.

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade · 1968 – Present

Bio Section — Award Navigation
Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade
Born 25 November 1948
Title Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala
Tenure 1968 – Present (21st in lineage)
Parliament Rajya Sabha (Nominated, 2022)
Biography

A Life Consecrated
to Dharma

Dharmadhikari Reformer Educationist Philanthropist

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade assumed the sacred responsibility of Dharmadhikari of Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala at the tender age of 20, inheriting an 800-year-old legacy of dharmic service.

"Dr. Heggade's five decades of path-breaking contribution to social, economic and cultural development is what truly defines his unyielding service to the nation."

Honours & Recognition

Dharmasthala Temple
Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala

The Temple That Bridges Faiths

Set on the banks of the Netravathi River in the Western Ghats, Dharmasthala Temple is an 800-year-old institution dedicated to Lord Manjunatha, a form of Shiva. It is widely regarded as one of India's most striking examples of religious harmony — a Shaiva deity worshipped through Vaishnava rites, under the hereditary administration of a Jain family, the Heggades, with Jain, Hindu, and folk deities honoured side by side on the same consecrated ground.

PILLARS OF ENDURING SERVICE

Transforming Compassion into
Sustainable Institutions

Anna Dana

Community Kitchen

Feeding devotees and visitors through longstanding traditions of organised service and hospitality.

Vidhya Dana

SDM Education Institutions

Education through institutions ranging from schools to professional colleges and allied learning centres.

Abhaya Dana

Rural Development(SKDRDP)

Empowering thousands of families through self-help groups and sustainable livelihood projects.

Aushadha Dana

Health Care

Healthcare access through hospitals, wellness institutions, and medical service initiatives.

Milestones

A chronicle of transformation

Key moments in the journey of service, leadership, and social impact.

1948

The Beginning

Born into the Heggade family, the traditional trustees of Dharmasthala- shaped by his father Shri Ratnavarma Heggade's dream of a modern, inclusive Dharmasthala.

1968

Investiture

Became the 21st Dharmadhikari at the age of 20, continuing a revered lineage of service.

1982

Bahubali Statue

Oversaw the installation of the monolithic Bahubali statue, a major spiritual and cultural landmark.The statue is approximately 39 feet (12 meters) tall.

1991

SKDRDP Expansion

Founded the Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project, which grew into one of India's largest microfinance and rural empowerment institutions.

2015

National Honour

Awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the President of India, in recognition of five decades of extraordinary contribution to society, culture, education, and spiritual leadership.

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade

Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala, social reformer, education patron, and public servant.

Dharmadhikari
Philanthropist
Rural Reformer
Padma Vibhushan
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Service to humanity is service to the divine. When you uplift the lives of the needy, you are fulfilling the highest purpose of life.

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Dharma is not a ritual — it is the living practice of righteousness in every act of service.

Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade Dharmadhikari