Dharmasthala Temple

'''Dharmasthala Temple''' ({{IAST|Kṣētra Dharmasthala}}) is an 800-year-old<ref name="india today">{{cite web|last=David|first=Stephen|title=Heavenly Post|url=http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020617/offtrack.shtml|publisher=[[India Today]]|access-date=17 June 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030102015447/http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020617/offtrack.shtml|archive-date=2 January 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hindu religious institution in the temple town of [[Dharmasthala]] in [[Dakshina Kannada]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]. The deities of the temple are Hindu god<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-21 |title=Shiva In Mythology: Let's Reimagine The Lord |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/shiva-in-mythology-let-s-reimagine-the-lord-magazine-231225 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> [[Shiva]], who is referred to as Mañjunatha, Hindu goddess Ammanavaru(meaning mother), the [[Tirthankara]] [[Chandraprabha]] and the protective [[deva (Hinduism)|gods]] of [[Jainism]], Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumarasvami and Kanyakumari. The temple was reconsecrated in 16th century by Hindu [[Dvaita]] saint [[Vadiraja Tirtha]] by the request of the then administrator of the temple, Devaraja Heggade.<ref>{{cite book|title=Karnataka State Gazetteer, Part 2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uNw-AQAAIAAJ|page=1199|publisher=Office of the Chief Editor, Karnataka Gazetteer Department, Government of Karnataka|year=1983|quote=Madhwa Saint Vadirajaswamy of the Sode Matha who paid a visit to this place in the 16th century reconsecrated the linga and bestowed on the place the name Dharmasthala which was till then called Kuduma.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, Volume 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AphNAAAAYAAJ|page=69|author=Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao|publisher=Kalpatharu Research Academy|year=1995}}</ref> The temple is considered unique,<ref name=charisma /> since the priests in the temple are [[Madhwa Brahmins]], who are [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]], and the administration is run by a [[Jain Bunt]] family called the Pergades.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Other Face of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbYtAAAAMAAJ|author=M. V. Kamath|publisher=Konark Publishers|year=1988|page=40|quote=In the Siva temple, the priests are Madhva brahmins—Vaishnavites—but Hegde, the dharmadhikari of all temples, is a Jain.|isbn = 9788122000887}}</ref>

'''Dharmasthala Temple''' ({{IAST|Kṣētra Dharmasthala}}) is an 800-year-old<ref name="india today">{{cite web|last=David|first=Stephen|title=Heavenly Post|url=http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020617/offtrack.shtml|publisher=[[India Today]]|access-date=17 June 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030102015447/http://www.indiatoday.com/itoday/20020617/offtrack.shtml|archive-date=2 January 2003|url-status=dead}}</ref> Hindu religious institution in the temple town of [[Dharmasthala]] in [[Dakshina Kannada]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]]. The deities of the temple are Hindu god<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-21 |title=Shiva In Mythology: Let's Reimagine The Lord |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/shiva-in-mythology-let-s-reimagine-the-lord-magazine-231225 |access-date=2022-11-15 |website=www.outlookindia.com/ |language=en}}</ref> [[Shiva]], who is referred to as Mañjunatha, Hindu goddess Ammanavaru(meaning mother), the [[Tirthankara]] [[Chandraprabha]] and the protective [[deva (Hinduism)|gods]] of [[Jainism]], Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumarasvami and Kanyakumari. The temple was reconsecrated in 16th century by Hindu [[Dvaita]] saint [[Vadiraja Tirtha]] by the request of the then administrator of the temple, Devaraja Heggade.<ref>{{cite book|title=Karnataka State Gazetteer, Part 2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uNw-AQAAIAAJ|page=1199|publisher=Office of the Chief Editor, Karnataka Gazetteer Department, Government of Karnataka|year=1983|quote=Madhwa Saint Vadirajaswamy of the Sode Matha who paid a visit to this place in the 16th century reconsecrated the linga and bestowed on the place the name Dharmasthala which was till then called Kuduma.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Art and Architecture of Indian Temples, Volume 3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AphNAAAAYAAJ|page=69|author=Saligrama Krishna Ramachandra Rao|publisher=Kalpatharu Research Academy|year=1995}}</ref> The temple is considered unique,<ref name=charisma /> since the priests in the temple are [[Madhwa Brahmins]], who are [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava]], and the administration is run by a [[Jain Bunt]] family called the Pergades.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Other Face of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kbYtAAAAMAAJ|author=M. V. Kamath|publisher=Konark Publishers|year=1988|page=40|quote=In the Siva temple, the priests are Madhva brahmins—Vaishnavites—but Hegde, the dharmadhikari of all temples, is a Jain.|isbn = 9788122000887}}</ref>

Notorious murder of teenage girls and ladies who visited temple were the prey of dharmastala mafias from temple owners,temple officials, auto mafias, mafia of temple authorities, lodge boys etc killed unaccounted females and devotees came to visit the temple,brutally raped and murdered,eventually their bodies abandoned in forests,nearby rivers. Mass grave of this female victims all over the forests. Police was inactive under the influence of the temple owners. These killing started end of 80s and continued until now.

== Legend and origin ==

== Legend and origin ==