Dharmasthala is a temple town in Karnataka located amidst the picturesque Western Ghats on the banks of the Nethravathi River, it is about 100 km from Udupi and about 70km from Mangalore. Distance between Dharmasthala and Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary is about 60 Km. Distance between Mangalore and Dharmasthala, Karnataka is 75.5 km and travel time is around 1 h 33 min.
The holy place of Dharmasthala is the home of the Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple, where devotees of all castes and creeds visit. The temple is devoted to Shiva and houses a linga of gold. The temple is unusual in that it is run by a Jain administration and poojas are conducted by Madhva priests. Everyone enjoys the generous hospitality without any distinction of caste, creed or class whatsoever. On an average the flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people a day. A mechanised and clean kitchen provides free food for all pilgrims. There are guest houses with modern amenities.The temple is unique example of unity in diversity.
It has been told in Dharmasthala that the Shiva Linga in Dharmasthala was brought to Dharmasthala by a man named Annappa. Legend is that he used to work for the Heggade family. Once when the Heggade he was serving wanted to worship Lord Shiva, Annappa had assured him to get one linga and vanished from the sight. Surprisingly next day morning, by the time all woke up, he had already established the linga in Dharmasthala, a few metres away from Heggade's house. Later it was known that the Linga was from Kadri near Mangalore, from the Kadri temple. By then, Annappa had vanished and he was never again sighted in the vicinity. Now people in Dharmasthala worship Annappa as Annappa Panjurli, a local god deva and a hero.
Anna Daana: The average flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people everyday.Every one of the thousands of pilgrims who daily visit shri Kshetra Dharmasthala is an honored guest irrespective of caste, creed, culture or status.The "Anna Daana"[free food] is perhaps one of the most impressive events that takes place at the holy temple.Free food is provided to devotees who come in thousands every day.The temple has modern machinery and makes quality food continuously through out the day.Temple does not differentiate between the rich and the poor for the Anna Dhaana.The dining hall is known as "Annapoorna".
Vidyadaana: Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala by the SDMCET Society manages a 25 institutions ranging from primary schools, Gurukula to teach yoga, Sanskrit, and professional courses in Engineering, Medicine, and Dental Sciences in Dharmasthala, Ujire, Mangalore, Udupi, Dharwad, Hassan, Mysore and other places of Karnataka state.
The Siddavana gurukula started by the Late Manjayya Heggade has become a model educational institution. Over 250 students are provided free lodging and boarding and learn yoga, Sanskrit in addition to basic school curriculum. The specialty of this institution is its endeavor to teach values based on Indian Culture.
Aushadadaana: In the field of health care, the medical trust also provides services to eradicate and prevent many diseases in local villages. The mobile hospital established by poojya shri Heggade is fully equipped to deal with emergencies and to provide medical treatment to the rural folk in remote parts of the Malnad area. A modern tuberculosis sanitorium was built by Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Medical Trust to give relief to the patients of tuberculosis. It has since been converted into a general hospital. The Ayurvedic Hospitals at Udupi and Hassan provide Ayurvedic medicines as per the ancient text. The Nature Cure Hospital, built on the banks of the Netravathi River, uses a system based on the five elements of Air, Earth, Ether, Water and Light.
SDM Eye Hospital at Mangalore, is a modern scientific eye treatment centre. The SDM Dental Hospital serves regular dental needs and provides specialised treatments such as oral implants, surgery for cleft lip and other orthodontic surgeries.
Shri Heggade has been actively involved in propagating the practice of Yoga, the ancient system of fitness. Surya Namaskara Camps are regularly organised where Yoga is taught. Further 250 high school teachers are trained in Yoga every year, who in turn teach at least 100 students each.
Ranga Pooja at Dharmasthala: On the occasion of Deepavali, the idol of Sri Swamy is encircled around the temple. Special poojas such as Ranga Pooja and the Seva of the Silver Chariot is initiated from this day.
There are buses every half an our from Kempegowda Bus Station, Bangalore to Dharmasthala. Ordinary Buses are available from 20:00 Hrs to 22:51 Hrs where as Rajahamsa are available from 21:00 Hrs to 23:15 Hrs. The fair for Ordinary bus is Rs. 200 and that for Rajahamsa is Rs. 300.
Food & acccomadation is provided by Dharmasthala Temple Trust. The contact numbers are 08256-77141 and 08256-771234. The administration of Dharmasthala has launched online room booking facility for pilgrims on its website shridharmasthala.org, from November 2016. For other hotels, Boarding, Lodging & accomodation facilities follow the link below.
One of the most important tourist attractions in Dharmasthala include the colossal statue of Bahubali, which has been carved out of a single rock and is installed on a hill near the Manjunatha Temple. The statue is one of the five statues in Karnataka and measures about 39 feet in height. Dharmasthala is well connected by rail and road and can be easily reached from Mangalore via private and public buses.
Lord Manjunatha, Bahubali, Manjusha Museum, Netravathi River Barrage, Ram Mandir, Shri Chandranatha Swamy Basadi and Badinede Betta are the Tourist Places in Dharmastala on Highway. Dharmasthala - Places to visit, Sightseeing places, Temples near Dharmasthala and Things to do are detailed here.
Ujire is a small town near Dharmasthala situated in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada district. Ujire is an important junction for travelers who travel in this region. The road at Ujire deviates to Dharmasthala, Kottigehara and Belthangady. Sri Janardhanaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Janardhana is one of the main attraction of Ujire town. Sadashivarudra Temple is located in beautiful surroundings at a distance of 6 km from Ujire in Nada village. Many devotees from Karnataka visit Sadashivarudra Temple, near Ujire to get rid of their problems like Delay in Marriage, Education, Unemployment and Childlessness. Tangai Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, Shri Rama Mandira and Mahamaayi Maari gudi are other tourist attractions in Ujire.
Shree Rama Kshethra temple is located on the way towards Dharmashtala. A huge temple has almost 36 gods inside it. The place is well maintained by temple authorities. The temple has a huge idol of Rama and Sita on 1st Floor and idol of Hanuman opposite to them. Temple has a huge space inside for meditation. The specialty of the idol is that Lord Sri RAM is depicted as Pattabhi RAM and hence only the Lord and Sita mata are in sitting position while everyone else are in dasya position. Laxman swamy and Hanumanji are at the Lord's feet while Bharat and Shatrugna are standing beside the Lord fanning him.
All the other idols are also very beautifully carved and praying here in this temple gives a pleasant and positive vibration to the mind. The temple has been structured in such a way that you can systematically have darshan of all the Gods before you exit the temple from the backside.
Manjusha Museum is just meters away from the temple. The ticket charges are between ?10 to ?25. It takes around 30 minutes to visit the complete museum. The museum has many paintings, rare old coins, ancient books, music instruments, stone and metal sculptures etc.
The uniqueness of Southadka Shree Mahaganapathi temple is that the statue of Lord Ganapathi is sitting out in the open. There are no doors or walls, and is accessible by all. The deity is made of black stone. Pooja Timings is from 7:15 am, 12:15 pm, 7:15 pm. One can reach Southadka, on the National Highway 48(Mangalore-Bangalore) from Uppinangady towards Bangalore, first left turn after Nellyadi, on Dharmasthala Road.
The Shishileshwara temple is situated on the banks of Kapila River in Shishila village of Belthangady Taluk, Dakshina Kannada district 3o km away from Dharmastala.
The history of Shishileshwara temple dates back to 700 years. This place is also referred as Matsya Theertha. The Mahashir (in Tulu 'Peruvelu') fish is found in huge numbers in the Kapila river. The fish in the Kapila River at Shishila are believed to be sacred and Naivedyam is offered to them after offering daily pujas. It is also believed that one can get rid of all types of skin disease after worshipping at Shishileshwara temple and feeding the fish in Kapila River. Fishing is restricted in Kapila River in and around 2 kilometers from Shishileshwara temple.
The other attractions of this place are two rocks, 'Huli Kallu' (rock named after tiger), and 'Dana Kallu' (rock named after cow). It is believed that, a tiger and a cow reached the river and tiger chased the cow. To avoid violence, Shishileshwara converted tiger and cow into rocks. These rocks are also worshipped during the annual festival. The annual festival at Shishila is held at the end of May and celebrated for 9 days with unique feature in each day. Few Buses also ply to Shishila from Uppinangadi and Dharmasthala.
Sri Sadashiva Rudra Temple temple located in Suriya Village, 12 km away from Dharmastala. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple has got a unique tradition of offering clay sculptures to God. Generally people offer money or gold to God when their wishes are fulfilled as a symbol of gratitude, but in this temple people make clay offerings to the God.The Suriya temple is probably only one of its kind because of its unique tradition of clay offerings.
Devotees pray god for their wishes/desires.Once it is fulfilled the devotees along with their clay offerings have to go to the temple preferably on Mondays along with a coconut and a kg of rice.The offerings are available in temple premises which are clay sculptures of your requests.For example chair and table symbolizes job, marriage means small sculptures of bride and groom, human body parts like ear,eyes,heart etc. You can also see children, cradles, limbs, houses, automobiles, coconuts, cattle, eggs, computer, watch, aeroplane etc.., this list is probably endless.
Here is a small tank near by the temple.All the clay offerings are made in a separate place called Mannina Harake Bana ( Clay Offerings Place) which is close to temple.You can see a huge collection of clay sculptures there. ts believed that temple is around 700 years old.But no one in the temple knows the importance behind this clay offerings. Clay is within the tradition of India.We make ganesha idol,durga mata idol(usually in West Bengal) and many more using clay.So clay must be pure and good compared to anything and I believe god likes to get clay offerings. Temple timings is from 7 30AM to 2PM and 4PM to 6.30PM.
Netravati River is at a distance of 1.5 km from Dharmasthala on the eastern side.
Around 5 centuries ago, when Dharmasthala was known as "Kuduma", meaning where Charity is the primary objective, a Jain family of Birmanna Pergade lived in Nelyadi Beedu. He was the chieftain of the Jains in Kuduma. He along with his wife led a simple and pious life. According to Legends, Nelyadi Beedu was the location, which was visited by the four Devathas or guardian of Dharma (Religion) considering it to be a seat for of flourishing Dharma. Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballalthi were instructed by Devathas to propagate Dharma and offer free education, food and shelter to people of Nelyadi Beedu, which is still followed today.
Adjacent to the Beedu, Shri Chandranatha Swamy Basadi, is a temple, which was established by Pergage and his family to offer puja. To this day, the shrine in this temple is worshipped, which is located on a small mound. This is also considered a holy shrine of Digambara. The tiled- roof dwelling of Nelyadi Beedu, is dedicated to the four Devathas that has no idols.
Located 1.5 km west of the new bus stand and half a kilometre from the Manjunatha temple, in the southeast direction is the hill of Badinede Betta, which is also known as Annappa Betta. This hill is home to the shrines of the four Dharma Daivas. Generally the hill is visited, after having visited the main temple. Any idol will not be found of the four Daivas inside the shrine. A peep through the window of the inside of a dwelling, one can see a swing, believed to be used by one of the Daivas. The temple does not allow children and women inside.
KSTDC Dharmasthala Package Tour package covers Horanadu Annapoomeshwari Temple, Kalasa Kalaseshwara Temple, Sringeri Sharada Temple, Kollur Mookambika Temple, Murdeshwar Murdeshwara Temple, Anegudda Vinayaka Temple, Udupi Krishna Temple, Katil Durgaparameshweri Temple, Mangalore Mangaladevi & Kadri Manjunatha Temples, Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple & Kukke Subramanya Subramanyeshwara Temple.
Kodachadri, Thadiyandamol Hills, Chelavara falls, Biligi Riranga Hills, Bababudangiri Hill, Kudremukh, Chikmagalur, Bathi Gudda etc are the most popular hill stations near Dharmasthala.
Distance from Sirsi to Gokarna, Karnataka is 80.2 km and 1 h 46 min via Kumta - Sirsi Rd. Distance from Gokarna to Jog Falls, Karnataka is 111.6 km and takes around 2 h 30 min via Kochi - Panvel Hwy and NH206. Distance from Jog Falls to Kollur, Karnataka is 89.7 km and travel time is around 2 h 23 min via Bhatkal - Siddapur - Soraba Hwy. Distance from Kollur to Sigandur Sri Chowdeshwari Temple, Panchayat Dasarighatta, Tiptur is 272 km and takes around 5 h 32 min via NH206. Distance from Sigandur Chaudamma temple, Tiptur to Dharmasthala, Karnataka is 173 km and travel time is around 3 h 44 min.
Distance from Tirupattur, Tamil Nadu to Dharmasthala, Karnataka is 445.3 km and travel time is around 7 h 14 min via NH 48. Distance from Dharmasthala, Karnataka to Goa is 397.1 km and travel time is around 8 h 10 min via Kochi - Panvel Highway. Distance from From Dharmasthala to Udupi, Karnataka is 106.0 km and travel time is around 2 h 15 min via SH 37. Distance from Dharmasthala to Mangaluru, Karnataka is 75.3 km and travel time is around 1 h 47 min via NH234.
Mangalore Railway Station is the nearest railway station to Dharmasthala and is at a distance of 74 km. This railway station is well connected to all major cities and towns in India. Travellers can hire taxis and cabs or take buses to reach Dharmasthala from here. Distance from Mangaluru International Airport to Dharmasthala, Karnataka is 81.9 km and takes around 2 h 3 min via Mangalore - Dharmastala Highway. Distance from Mangaluru International Airport to Dharmasthala is 81.9 km and travelling time is around 2 h 3 min via Mangalore - Dharmastala Hwy.