HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - Part 84

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HINDU RITUALS AND ROUTINES - WHY DO WE FOLLOW THOSE?

!! Dharmasthala !! In karnataka there are many piligrim places for hindus. out of which the famous in the world is dharmasthala, which also known as place of truth. Dharmasthala literally means “Place of Dharmaâ€. Dharmadhikari at Dharmasthala provides judgement to local disputes and hence the name. Dharmasthala is a miracle of paradoxes. Here different faiths co-exist in harmony.

Dharmasthala, the Manjunatha Temple is one of the sacred pilgrim places of South India . Dharmasthala is a holy place visited by a large number of people irrespective of their differences in cast and creed. Dharmasthala is located in a village of the same name in the South Kannara District of Karnataka. It is situated on the banks of the river Nethravathi which is regarded as a sacred river by the devotees. The water of the Nethravati river is used as the holy water for Dharmasthala. Thus the pilgrims who come to offer their prayers first bathe in this river to purify their soul before entering into the Manjunatha Temple , Dharmasthala. The main lord of the Manjunatha Temple , Dharmasthala is the Shri Manjunathaswamy. Shri Manjunathaswamy is regarded as another form of Lord Shiva. 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 Hindu priests of Madhva order. The town of Dharmasthala in Karnataka is well known for the eight Jain basadis and the ruins of Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple . There is a 11 meter high Bahubali statue whose origin dates back to 1604 AD. Manjunatha is incarnation of "God Shiva". Manju means snow and Natha means lord. Since Shiva lives in kailasa (now called himalayas), and he is the lord of that loka, he is called Manjunatha. Dharmastala literally means a place of Dharma, a path to religion, ritual, duty, righteousness, and alms. It is the embodiment of justice, truthfulness, faith, solace, fulfillment and peace. Let us all live together, Eat together, and grow together Without any feelings of Animosity. This is the essence of all our religious traditions. And this philosophy in action is the glory of Dharmasthala. The word "Dharma" traditionally means religion, ritual, duty, righteousness, and alms. It also implies justice, truthfulness, freedom from fear, faith, solace, fulfillment and peace. Dharmasthala is the perfect embodiment of the word "Dharma" for it displays every shade of meaning with which the word is imbued. The greatness of Dharmasthala, however is the fact that it has added an active element to "Dharma", such that it touches the lives of people with a transformational directness that is unique. To those that come for worship, Dharmasthala represents religious tolerance wherein caste, creed and faith of pilgrims are no bars. For here, the Jain Theerthankara is worshipped on the same consecrated grounds as the native Daivas and Lord Manjunatha (Lord Shiva). The priests are Vaishnavite Brahmins and the guardian of the temple is Heggade, a Jain by faith. Altogether forming a confluence of faiths that harmonize in belief of the Omnipotent. To those that come for justice, Dharmasthala is the scale that does not tip in favour of a lawyer's glib tongue. Here, without any legal formality or argument the Heggade dispenses justice, acting in the tradition of his ancestral role as the Heggade and representing the presiding deities. To those that come in need, Dharmasthala is an Oasis, where succour, solace and hope abound in the serenity of the temple and in the free hostelries that provide food and shelter. And to those that come in curiosity, Dharmasthala is a miracle of paradoxes. Here different faiths co-exist in harmony just as traditions make room for experimental services, High or low, rich or poor, devout or atheist, at Dharmasthala all are equal. Dharmasthala has not been content being a source of inspiration to the devout. Having expanded the meaning of Dharma to encompasses the advancement of society at large, it has played an active role in bettering the lives of communities far and wide. Its initiatives have aimed at renewing the Paid and hope within, so that people may be helped to help themselves. 800 Years ago, Dharmasthala was known as Kuduma in Mallarmadi, then a village in Belthangady. Here lived the Jain Chieftain Birmanna Pergade and his wife Ammu Ballathi in a house called Nelliadi Beedu. Simple, pious and affectionate people, the pergade family was known for its generosity and hospitality to all. According to the legend, the guardian angels of Dharma assumed human forms and arrived at pergade's abode in search of a place where Dharma was being practiced and could be continued and propagated. As was their habit, the pergade couple hosted these illustrious visitors with all their wherewithal, and great respect. Pleased by their sincerity and generosity, that night the Dharma Daivas appeared in the dreams of Pergade. They explained the purpose of their visit to him and instructed him to vacate his house for the worship of the Daivas and dedicate his life to the propagation of Dharma. Asking no questions, the Pergade built himself another house and began worshiping the Daivas at Nelliadi Beedu. This continues even today. As they continued their worship and their practice of hospitality, the Dharma Daivas again appeared before the Pergade to build separate shrines to consecrate the four Daivas - Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. Also, Pergade was instructed to choose two persons of noble birth to act as the Daivas's oracles and four worthy persons to assist Pergade in his duties as the Executive Head of the Shrines. The oracles of Daivas are called Delampadithaya and Manavolithaya. In return, the Daivas promised Pergade protection for his family, abundance of charity and renown for the Kshetra. Pergade, as desired,

built the shrines and invited Brahman priests to perform the rituals. These priests requested Pergade to also install a Shivalinga beside the native Daivas. The Daivas then sent their vassal Annappa Swamy to procure the linga of Lord Manjunatheshwara from Kadri, near Mangalore. Subsequently, the Manjunatha temple was built around the linga. Around the 16th Century, Devaraja Heggade invited Shri Vadiraja Swami of Udupi to visit the place. The Swamiji gladly came but refused to accept Bhiksha (food offering) because the idol of lord Manjunatha had not been consecrated according to vedic rites. Shri Heggade then requested the Swamiji to reconsecrate the Shivalinga himself. After doing so, Swamiji arranged for the pujas for the Shivalinga according to Madhwa practices. Pleased by the observance of the vedic rites and Heggade's charity to all, the Swamiji named the place Dharmasthala, the abode of religion and charity. Thus, the roots of charity and religious tolerance established by the Pergades 600 Years ago have been nurtured and strengthened by the Heggade family, Heggade being a derivative from Pergade. And today's Dharmasthala blossoms with the fruit of this selfless dedication. Veerendra Heggade - the present Dharmadhikari: The temple is managed by the Heggades who is considered to be the speaking Manjunatha. The Heggade position a hereditary one, is being passed on from generation to generation. The present Heggade, Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade is the 21st in the lineage. Daanas at Dharmasthala: Sri Kshetra is known for Annadaana, Vidyadaana, Aushadadaana and Abhayadaana. The average flow of pilgrims is about 10,000 people everyday. Free boarding and lodging with modern facilities are provided to all visitors with sincerly. There are six modern guest houses Netravathi, Vaishali, Sharavathi, Gayatri, Gangotri and Saket along with Ganga, Kaveri and Narmada (old guest houses). Advanced mechanized and clean kitchen provides free food for all pilgrims to the Annapoorna Choultry; beautiful dining room is equipped to feed people. In the field of health care, The medical trust also provides services to eradicate and prevent many diseases in local villages. contribution is unlimited. The Mobile Hospital established by poojya shri Heggade is fully equipped to deal with emergencies and provide medical treatment to the rural folk at the inaccessible interiors of Malnad area. A modern T.B.Sanitorium is built by Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Medical Trust to give relief to the patients of tuberculosis.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 , has created renewed faith in the system based on the five elements of Air, Earth, Ether, Water and Light. SDM Eye

Hospital at Mangalore, is one of the most modern allopathic eye treatment centres.The SDM Dental Hospital caters to regular dental needs and 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 to the masses. Further 250 high school teachers are trained in Yoga every year, who in turn teach at least 100 students each. Free mass marriages which were started in 1972 have gained popularity. Every year hundreds of couples are getting married (Saamoohika Vivaha mahotsava) here. 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, Ujjre, Mangalore, Udupi, Dharwad 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. dil se,

Bharath.Krishna

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