Dharmasthala Manjayya Heggade (1889–1955) was an Indian

philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...

educationist Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Var ...

and

legislator A legislator (also known as a deputy or lawmaker) is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people of the state. Legislatures may be supra-national (for e ...

who is best known for being the hereditary administrator (Dharmadhikari) of the

Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple Dharmasthala Temple () is an 800-year-old Hindu religious institution in the temple town of Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, India. The deities of the temple are Hindu god Shiva, who is referred to as Mañjunatha, Hindu goddess ...

from 1918 to 1955.

Early life

Born in 1889 in a family called the ''Pergade''. The Pergades were the hereditary trustees of the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Temple and the feudal lords of the temple town of

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. The town is known for its centuries old Dharmasthala ...

. Manjayya completed his education in

Mangalore Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka– ...

and after the death of his uncle Chandayya Heggade, succeeded to the post of Dharma Adhikari of the manjunatha temple at the age of 29 in 1918.

Career

On becoming the dharmadhikari, the first major task manjayya undertook was the eradication of

Malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or deat ...

, that had caused havoc in the temple town of

.Heggade also started a Sarva Dharma Sammelan in 1932 in

for inter faith dialogue. It has become an annual feature since then. Heggade's philanthropic activities also extended to the field of education.he started the first high school in the

Belthangady Belthangady is a town panchayat and the headquarters of Belthangady taluk of the Dakshina Kannada (South Canara) district of Karnataka state in India. Demographics In 2001 in the town of Belthangady, 11% of the population was under 6 year ...

taluk in 1918 and donated vast lands and money for this purpose. He wanted that the education imparted here should be based upon moral and spiritual heritage and hence he found in 1940 an institution called Siddavana Gurukula. The institution imparted education on the model of ancient

Gurukul Education in India is primarily managed by state-run public education system, which fall under the command of the government at three levels: central, state and local. Under various articles of the Indian Constitution and the Right of Child ...

system involving spiritual education with moral background. Heggade also served as a

in the

Madras Legislative Council Tamil Nadu Legislative Council was the upper house of the former bicameral legislature of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It began its existence as Madras Legislative Council, the first provincial legislature for Madras Presidency. It was initia ...

and was known for his oratory skills. Heggade died on 31 August 1955.

References

External links

Past Heggade of Dharmasthala
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heggade, Manjayya 20th-century Indian Jains Tulu people 1889 births 1955 deaths Heggade family