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.
