Manjusha Museum
The collection of artefacts housed here in the Manjusha Museum have been personally collected by Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade over the last fifty years. Dr. Heggade’s eternal love for cultural heritage has led to many incredible collections in Dharmasthala, which increasingly draw attention. His zestful interest into historical preservation is unavoidably clear at the Manjusha Museum. Dr Heggade enjoys spending time amidst his vast and priceless collections, so much so that he even cleans and rearranges them on occasion.
As well as some internationally crafted pieces, the artefacts in our collection, a lot of them completely unique, have been procured from all over India. Additionally, several antique pieces were kindly donated to the Manjusha collection by those wishing to enhance cultural and heritage learning. We invite you to learn about India’s rich cultural history through our carefully curated exhibitions and galleries. From pre-historic tools to exquisite world instruments, our collection should be considered a hub of cultural and historic learning and innovation.
Dr. D Veerendra Heggade
In creating this museum, Dr D. Veerendra Heggade, the renowned philanthropist and hereditary administrator/Dharmadhikari of the Dharmasthala Temple, has ensured that his visions have become a reality, with a positive and lasting effect.
The Heggade Chieftains of Dharmastala have been an unparalleled attribute to this town throughout their history. The position of ‘Pattadhikaari’ holds religious, political, legal, administrative and developmental importance, which each Chief has carried out honourably, so much so that Dharmasthala has received national and international attention.
Despite succeeding his father to this honourable position at the tender age of twenty, Dr Heggade has had a series of renowned accomplishments which speak volumes of his personality. In 2015 he received the Padma Vibhushana Award, awarded by the Central Government of India, in recognition of his accomplishments.
As the President of the SDM group of institutions, Dr Heggade has set a fine example of what the education sector should look like. Rural development, female empowerment and entrepreneurship initiatives have been redefined in this area through his dream projects of SKDRDP. His wilful ventures towards social betterment are deservedly recognised with his ‘philanthropist’ status. He epitomises how great people can be when they direct themselves towards welfare on a local and national level.
His incredible attention to detail has led him to have a very ‘hands-on’ approach to everything in his domain. Besides his beloved museum and car
collection, Dr Heggade is known to give careful attention to all aspects of his grand life; he feeds the cattle in the Gow-Shaale, he tastes the food that is served to thousands of devotees each day and he keeps informed about the collection of works in the Oriental Library. His attention to detail, despite his busy life, makes him a great asset to this beautiful town and cultural and heritage preservation.
Dharmasthala
The righteous and pious town of Dharmasthala is one of India’s most renowned religious landmarks, with a rich history that stretches back over 800 years. Situated on the banks of the Nethravathi River, our temple town houses a great shrine of Shiva as well as Manjunatha, Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. Out temple is unusual, as it is run by a Jain administration, whilst pujas and priests are Hindu. Our has national and international recognition, attracting thousands of pilgrims daily. A mechanised kitchen, once featured in a National Geographic episode, provides free food for all pilgrims.
Dharmastala represents religious tolerance; a Jain Tirthankara is worshiped beside Daivas and Lord Manjunatha (Shiva). The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple, Dr. Heggade, is Jain.
As the name suggests, the town is the abode of dharma, a hub of humanity, faith and righteousness. The name Dharmasthala is a symbol for the confluence of all necessary attributes, religion, spirituality, social welfare, education, entrepreneurship, healthcare, culture and heritage. The town not only houses Lord Manjunatheshwara’s ancient temple, but a number of Jain shrines that also have long and interesting histories. All shrines are immaculately preserved.
Dharmasthala is an open doorway for those who seek solace, understanding, peace and enlightenment. Its name, Dharmasthala literally means “the place where truth or righteousness resides.”
Vision
When I assumed the position of Dharmadhikari at 21, I was yet to completely comprehend the stakes of my position. In the pursuit of learning, the elaborate rites of the temple, materials used for the rituals and our ancient lifestyles attracted me the most, and compelled me to study them further. Their utility materials were thus collected to be preserved. Eventually, our determined efforts combined with the grace of God enabled us to procure a large number of antique items from various places, which were eventually piled up to form Manjusha. People also contributed to the collection by donating various antique items from their collections, while we made efforts to purchase a few more. The added appeal to the heritage collection is the anthology of palm-leaf manuscripts at the oriental library. This aspect of the museum opens up an endless research possibility.
Leadership
President
Secretary
Hierarchy for Museum Management
President |
D Veerendra Heggade |
Deputy Director |
Ritesh Sharma |
Curator |
K Pushpadantha Hegde |
Head of Conservation and Research |
Chaitra Rao Sharma |
Assistant Curator (Research) |
Rajesh Devadiga |
Assistant Curator (Security) |
Subhash Jain |