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Temple town in Karnataka, India
Photo: Gpkp, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Dharmasthala (ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ), literally a "religious place", is a temple town in Dakshina Kannada, on the banks of the Netravati River. While the town has earned headlines in late 2025 due to the disturbing allegations of mass graves of raped women and children, Dharmasthala is otherwise home to a popular Hindu temple and two museums.
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An 800-year-old Hindu-Jain temple with idols of Hindu deities Manjunatha (Shiva) and Ammanavaru, as well as Tirthankara Chandraprabha. While the priests in the temple are Vaishnavite Madhwa Brahmins, the administration is run by a Jain Bunt family called the Pergades.
Founded by temple head Veerenda Heggade, the museum houses antiques, paintings, artefacts and temple chariots, collected from temples across Karnataka.
Another museum founded by the same person, housing vintage cars.
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Mangaluru · International · IXE
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