Manjunatheshwara Temple
National News: Karnataka's famous religious place, Manjunatheshwara Temple, is not just a center of worship and devotion, but it has been working extensively for the welfare of the society for the last several decades. Thousands of people are fed here every day, poor families are freed from debt, people are relieved of alcohol addiction, youth are educated, and employment opportunities are increased in rural areas.
In recent times, this temple has been embroiled in a controversy. An allegation is spreading rapidly on social media. This allegation has not yet been proven, nor has it been fully investigated, but still it has started affecting the image of the temple that has been built over the years.
The famous Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara temple located in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka has recently been embroiled in a serious controversy. The matter came to light when a former cleaning worker who had worked for a long time in the temple made a sensational claim that a large number of bodies were secretly buried in the temple premises between 1995 and 2014.
According to the allegation, he was forced to bury or burn the bodies of women and children on the orders of the temple administration. The former employee also says that many bodies had marks of sexual abuse, strangulation, and violence.
After this serious allegation, the Karnataka government took immediate action and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT). State Home Minister and BJP leader R. Ashok issued a statement saying that so far these claims are unconfirmed and the reputation of any religious institution should not be harmed on the basis of rumors or misinformation. BJP alleges that this controversy may be a well-planned attempt to tarnish the image of the temple and pilgrimage site.
Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple is about 800 years old, and one of its specialties is that the worship here is done by Hindu priests of the Vaishnav tradition, while the administration of the temple is in the hands of the Pergade family of the Jain-Bunt community. This temple is not only a center of religious faith but is also famous for social and cultural activities.
Considering the seriousness of the controversy, the administration has assured transparency and impartial investigation in the matter. At present, the SIT investigation is going on, and only after the report comes will it be decided how much truth there is in these allegations. Meanwhile, security has been increased in the temple and surrounding areas, while the movement of devotees remains normal.
The temple's social wing, Shri Kshetra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP), has transformed the lives of millions of people. Earlier, people in rural areas used to take loans from moneylenders at 60% or more interest. SKDRDP started giving them microfinance loans at just 12% annual interest. This helped thousands of families get out of the debt trap.
Similarly, the temple has conducted the Jana Jagruthi Vedike campaign and has helped over 1.3 lakh people overcome alcoholism and has set up 'Navjeevi Samitis' to prevent people from relapsing into addiction.
The temple has also contributed a lot to health services. SDM Medical Trust's hospitals provide free or subsidized treatment to the poor. The temple organizes mass marriages to eliminate barriers like dowry and caste. More than 60 lakh women have joined self-help groups and are taking loans for farming, small business, and education. Pensions worth ₹110 crore have been given to the elderly and destitute, and dairy farmers have received assistance worth ₹37.85 crore.
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