Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Mangaluru airport is the nearest. The temple gives about 65 km, while Karnataka Tourism says 75 km. Flights connect it to Mumbai, Bengaluru, Goa, Kochi and Calicut.

• By train

  The temple names Mangaluru station, about 74 km away, with taxis and buses onward. Karnataka Tourism lists Puttur station, 49 km away.

• By road

  KSRTC buses run from across Karnataka, and private buses also serve the town. It is about 75 km from Mangaluru and 311 km from Bengaluru.

Elderly visitors

• Restrooms are alongside the queue line, and breakfast is served in the queue on crowded days.
• Darshan, meals and accommodation can change on crowded days, so allow extra time.

Book and check

Official pages only. We do not sell darshan passes or tours.

• Check the temple routine and timingsshridharmasthala.org
• Annadana meal timingsshridharmasthala.org

Rules to know

• Men must remove their shirt and vest before entering the sanctum.
• Men in half pants and women in nighties are not allowed in for darshan.
• Mobile phone use is prohibited on the temple premises, and bags are not allowed in the temple.
• Food, smoking, spitting and alcohol are not allowed inside the temple.
• Children under 2 are not allowed in the sanctum.
• Do not place coins or tie tagged rings anywhere in the temple, and do not pay extra for any service.

Why devotees come here

Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple is a Shiva temple on the Netravati river in Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, about 800 years old. A hereditary Jain family manages it, while Madhwa Vaishnava priests conduct the worship. Free meals are served to every pilgrim.

Dharmasthala is a temple town in the Western Ghats, on the Netravati river. The Manjunatha temple at its heart is a Shaiva shrine with an unusual arrangement. A hereditary Jain family, the Heggades, administers it, and Madhwa Vaishnava priests perform the worship.

Tradition says the story began about 800 years ago with Birmanna Pergade, a Jain chieftain. According to the legend, the Dharma Daivas, guardian spirits of dharma, asked him to build shrines for four deities. A Shivalinga was installed beside them, brought from the Kadri Manjunatha temple near Mangaluru. In the 16th century, the Madhwa saint Vadiraja Tirtha of Udupi reconsecrated the linga at the request of Devaraja Heggade.

Today Dharmasthala is known for its free meals, called annadana, which feed pilgrims every day. Near the temple stand a 39 foot Bahubali statue on a hill, the white marble Chandranatha Swamy Basadi and the Manjusha Museum.

Festivals

• November or DecemberLaksha Deepotsava

  One lakh lamps are lit, with religious and literary talks.

• Per the Hindu calendarMaha Shivaratri

  Listed among the temple's main festivals; check the official site for the year's date.

Tips for your visit

• Free annadana meals run 10:30 AM to 4 PM on Sunday and Monday, and 11 AM to 2:45 PM from Tuesday to Saturday.
• A second meal is served every night from 7 to 10 PM, on plantain leaf plates.
• Book guest house rooms only on the official site, as the temple warns that it is not responsible for bookings made elsewhere.
• Dress modestly in the temple premises, and keep purses, ornaments and phones safe in the queue.
• Kukke Subramanya (55 km) and Moodubidiri (51 km) are day trips from Dharmasthala.

Questions people ask