Determined to salvage ancient monuments, restore these monuments to their pristine glory and bring them into the mainstream of life, Shree Veerendra Heggade established the Shri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Dharmothana Trust.
This trust, with the active participation of the Government of Karnataka, takes the help of the local populace to restore these monuments. With the help of the Archeological Survey of India, a dedicated team of professionals well versed in the geometry and architecture of ancient temples and the Trust searches locates, cleans, preserves the monuments, mostly made of stone and ornately crafted. These are then placed in the way they were placed hundreds of years ago for daily worship and rituals.
Dr. Heggade is a connoisseur of art and ancient temple architecture, historical monuments and antiques. He has promoted the Dharmothana Trust for the renovation of historical buildings in the state of Karnataka. Though these projects are mainly funded by the Trust, active involvement of the local community and government agencies is sought so that the restored temple becomes a part of the life of those living around it. All donations made to the Trust by donors from around the country are channeled to the local funds to help ease their financial strain. In recognition of the spirit and commitment of the Trust, the Government of Karnataka shares 40% of the total renovation cost. The Dharmothana Trust pools in 40% of the cost and the remaining 20% are collected from the local populace or institutions to ensure their active participation in the project.
Since its inception, the Dharmothana Trust has taken up 182 monuments for renovation. To date, more than 182 temples and Jinamandhiras have been restored to their old glory.
- The Dharmothana Trust has dedicated itself to the restoration and revival of our ancient culture. Since 1991, this Trust has identified ancient Temples and restored them as close as possible to their original glory.
- Number of temples restored: 182
- Number of districts covered: 25
- Amount spent from Dharmothana Trust: 602.61 Lakhs