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.
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.
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.
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