Dharmasthala

Dharmasthala () (earlier known as Kuduma) is an Indian temple town on the banks of the Nethravathi River in the taluk of Belthangady of the Dakshina Kannada or southern district in Karnataka, India. The town is known for its centuries-old Dharmasthala Temple, devoted to the Hindu god Manjunatha. Some other temples and shrines are dedicated to Ammanavaru, Chandranath and the Dharma Daivas (guardian spirits of Dharma) — Kalarahu, Kalarkayi, Kumaraswamy and Kanyakumari. The temple is unusual, as it is a Hindu temple run by a Jain administration, and poojas are conducted by Hindu priests who follow the Vaishnava ideologies. Most Shiva temples are run by Shaivas as opposed to the Madhva Brahmins, devotees of Vishnu and his avatars. On average, the temple attracts around 2,000 pilgrims a day. In July 2025, allegations were made of mass graves at Dharmasthala containing the bodies of several missing women and children. A Dalit caretaker said he was forced to bury hundreds of victims of rape and murder at the temple between 1996 and 2014. However, the complainant was arrested for perjury on 23 August 2025 after the skull and bones alleged to be of a female were found upon forensic investigation to be of a male, casting serious doubt upon these allegations.