Dharmasthala
India · Asia
About Dharmasthala
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.
Dharmasthala travel guide
Getting there
By bus 1 KSRTC Bus Stand. (updated Jun 2026)
See
1 Dharmasthala Temple. 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. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Manjusha Museum, [email protected]. Founded by temple head Veerenda Heggade, the museum houses antiques, paintings, artefacts and temple chariots, collected from temples across Karnataka. (updated Jun 2026) 3 Manjusha Car Museum. Another museum founded by the same person, housing vintage cars. (updated Jun 2026) 4 Lalithodyana Aquarium. (updated Jun 2026) 5 Bahubali Statue. (updated Jun 2026)
Do
1 Lalithodyana Park. (updated Jun 2026)
Sleep
1 Nethravathi Guest House. (updated Jun 2026)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.