The temple town of Dharmasthala hosted The World Tulu Convention from 10 to 13 December 2009. Heggade has been a great supporter of preserving Tuluva culture and heritage. His car collection is on display in Dharmastala. Heggade has been awarded honorary doctorates from Mangalore University, Gulbarga University and Karnataka University for his social welfare activities.īorn in a Jain Bunt family,He is the eldest among the four sons born to Ratnavarma Heggade and Rathnamma Heggade (née Shetty),the others being Harshendra Kumar,Surendra Kumar and Rajendra Kumar.Heggade is married to Hemavathi Heggade and has a daughter named Shraddha.In January 2006, his mother Rathnamma Heggade aged 80 died in Janthigoli when a van collided with the car in which she was travelling.Heggade is a car and award collector and photography aficionado. In 2000, the government of India awarded him the prestigious Padma Bhushan award for his services in the fields of education, religion and social welfare. Shankar Dayal Sharma, the then President of India, called Veerendra Heggade Rajarshi. In 1993, during silver jubilee celebrations of his Patthabhisheka, Dr. He also established the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara (SDM) group which manages more than 30 educational institutions. The program included such provisions as funding for poor farmers with agricultural credit, technical training for young people through the RUDSET Insititute program, a temperance effort, and money management classes for rural women. In 1982, on the eve of his taking over of Dharmadhikara, Sri Heggade initiated a "grameenaabhivruddhi yojane" (Integrated Village-Welfare Program) within the Belthangadi Taluk. Veerendra Heggade's first major act upon becoming Dharmadhikari was to realise his father's dream by completing the carving and installation of the 39 ft., 170 ton Bahubali statue at Dharmastala. He succeeded to the post of dharmadhikari at the age of 20, on Octobecoming the 21st Dharmadhikari of Dharmasthala Temple dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva. last quarter of Poorvabhadra (Pooratadhi)ĭharma Adhikari Veerendra Heggade (Tulu: ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳ ವೀರೇಂದ್ರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆ born November 25, 1948) is a philanthropist and the hereditary administrator (Dharmadhikari) of the Dharmasthala Temple. first three quarters of Poorvabhadra (Pooratadhi last three quarters of Uttarashada (Uttiradam) first quarter of Uttarashada (Uttiradam) first three quarters of Visakha (Visakham) last three quarters of Uttara Phalguni (Uttaram) first quarter of Uttara Phalguni (Uttaram) last quarter of Punarvasu (Punarpoosam) first three quarters of Punarvasu (Punarpoosam second half of Mrigasira (Mrigaseersham) first half of Mrigasira (Mrigaseersham) last three quarters of Krittika (Karthigai) Use the following table to find out your janma rasi from your janma nakshatra