Dharmasthala
Dharmasthala(ⓘ) (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada district in Karnataka, India.
Dharmasthala | |
|---|---|
Temple Town | |
Sri Manjunatha Temple, Dharmasthala | |
Dharmasthala Location in Karnataka, India | |
| Coordinates: 12.951°N 75.371°E | |
| Country | India |
| State | Karnataka |
| District | Dakshina Kannada |
| Taluk | Belthangady |
| Government | |
| • Type | Local Government |
| • Body | Gram Panchayat |
| Population | |
| • Temple Town | 9,818 |
| • Metro | 246,494 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Kannada |
| • Spoken | Tulu |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Vehicle registration | KA-21 |
| Nearest city | Belthangady |
The town is known for its centuries-old Dharmasthala Temple, devoted to the Hindu god Manjunatha. Some other temples and shrines are dedicated to Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas (guardian spirits of Dharma) — Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. The temple is unusual because it is a Hindu temple run by a Jain administration, and poojas are conducted by Hindu priests who subscribe to the Vaishnava ideologies. Most Shiva temples are run by Shaivas as opposed to the Madhava Bhramins, devotees of Vishnu and his avatars. On average, the temple attracts around 1,000 pilgrims a day.