Veerendra Heggade
{{Resume-like|date=March 2025}}
{{Short description|Indian temple administrator (born 1948)}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2017}}{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox religious biography
| name =Veerendra Heggade
| image = Dr. D Veerendra Heggade at SDM College of Engineering and Technology, Dharwad.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Heggade at SDM College of Engineering and Technology, Dharwad
| alias = Heggade/Pergade,Kavandaru, Dharmarathna, Dharmabhushana
| location = Dharmastala, Karnataka, India
| Title = ?????
| Period = 1968 - present
| Predecessor = Ratnavarma Heggade
| post =
(Hereditary administrator) of Dharmasthala Temple
| religion = Jainism
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1948|11|25}}
| birth_place = Bantwal, Mysore State, Dominion of India (present{{endash}}day Karnataka, India)
| website = {{URL|http://www.veerendraheggade.in/}}
|module = {{Infobox politician
|embed = yes
|office = Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Karnataka)
|term_start= 7 July 2022
|nominator=Ramnath Kovind
|constituency = Nominated (Social work)
}}
}}
{{Jainism}}
Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade{{Cite web |title=Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade {{!}} PRSIndia |url=https://prsindia.org/mptrack/rajya-sabha/dharmasthala-veerendra-heggade |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=PRS Legislative Research |language=en-US}} (born 25 November 1948) is an Indian philanthropist and the hereditary administrator of the Hindu Dharmasthala Temple in the Indian state of Karnataka. He succeeded to the post at the age of 19, on 24 October 1968, the 21st in his line.{{cite book |title= Charisma and Commitment in South Asian History
|last= Long |first= Roger D. |author2=Wolpert, Stanley A. |year= 2004 |publisher= Orient Blackswan |isbn= 978-81-250-2641-9 |page= 369 }} He administers the temple and its properties, which are held in trust. He is a nominated Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha since July 2022.
He was awarded the Karnataka Ratna award for the year 2009, the highest civilian award in Karnataka.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jainheritagecentres.com/News/2010/01-Jan/13_News_Updates_001.htm |title=Archived copy |access-date=5 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128132222/http://www.jainheritagecentres.com/News/2010/01-Jan/13_News_Updates_001.htm |archive-date=28 January 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
On 6 July 2022 he was nominated as Rajya Sabha member by President Ram Nath Kovind.{{Cite web |last=Bhandari |first=Shashwat |date=2022-07-06 |title=Celebrated athlete PT Usha, Philanthropist Veerendra Heggade among 4 nominated for Rajya Sabha |url=https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india/pt-usha-ilaiyaraaja-veerendra-heggade-vijayendra-prasad-garu-nominated-for-rajya-sabha-modi-congratulates-2022-07-06-790172 |access-date=2022-07-06 |website=www.indiatvnews.com |language=en}}
Personal life
Heggade was born the eldest son of Dharmadhikari Ratnavarma Heggade and Rathnamma Heggade (née Shetty). He belongs to the Pergade dynasty of Tulu Jain Bunt{{cite web | url=https://www.timesnownews.com/explainer/who-is-dr-veerendra-heggade-from-karnataka-and-why-his-nomination-to-rajya-sabha-matters-article-92726005 | title=Who is Dr Veerendra Heggade from Karnataka and why his nomination to Rajya Sabha matters | date=7 July 2022 }} lineage, the hereditary trustees of the Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy temple in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. The family are trustees of a Hindu temple, although the family belong to the Digambara Jain community.{{cite news|last=Rons Bantwal|title=Dharmadhikari Dr. D Veerendra Heggade Lauds Social Welfare of Bunts Sangh|url=http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=118641|access-date=1 January 2012|newspaper=Daijiworld|date=11 October 2011}}
Work
He runs the Annapoorna kitchen at Dharmasthala, which is one of the largest and oldest family-run kitchens in India. The kitchen feeds around 50,000 persons every day. It was featured on the National Geographic TV show, "Mega Kitchens".{{cite news|url= https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/darmasthala-kitchen-to-feature-in-geographic-channel-115062201246_1.html |title= Darmasthala kitchen to feature in Geographic channel |date=22 June 2015|via=www.Business-standard.com|newspaper=Business Standard}}
He is the President of SDM Educational Society, Ujire, which manages educational institutions from primary to engineering, medical, ayurvedic and management institutes as well as hospitals.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-miscellaneous/tp-others/profile-of-padma-bhushan-dr-dv-heggade/article2454533.ece|title=Profile of Padma Bhushan Dr. D.V Heggade|date=15 September 2011|via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=The Hindu}}
Awards and honours
File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award to Dr. Dharmasthala Veerendra Heggade, at a Civil Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 08, 2015.jpg gives Heggade the Padma Vibhushan Award, 2015]]
- Padma Bhushan Award (2000) for social work and Communal Harmony (India's third-highest civilian award){{cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|title=Padma Awards|date=2015|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=21 July 2015|archive-date=15 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-list-padma-awards-2015/524838-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127225955/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-list-padma-awards-2015/524838-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-01-27|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18}}
- Rajarshi title from President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma, in 1993{{Cite web |url=http://www.veerendraheggade.in/subsequent_page.php?m_id=1&s_id=29 |title=Shri. Dr. D. Veerendra Heggade |access-date=5 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150131223022/http://www.veerendraheggade.in/subsequent_page.php?m_id=1&s_id=29 |archive-date=31 January 2015 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}
- The State Government selected Heggade for Karnataka Ratna title for 2009.{{cite web|url=http://mangaloretoday.com/main/Karnataka-Ratna-for-Dharmadhikari-Dr-Veerendra-Heggade.html|title=Karnataka Ratna for Dharmadhikari, Dr Veerendra Heggade|first=Mangalore Today|last=Mangalore|website=mangaloretoday.com}}
- P. V. Narasimha Rao, former Prime Minister of India presented Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry award for Rural Development activities in Belthangady Taluk by Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project (SKDRDP) on 12 May 1995{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}.
- Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India presented Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry award for Rural Development & Self Employment activities by RUDSET Institute on 20 November 1999{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}.
- "Vatika Varshada Kannadiga – 2004" by ETV Kannada at Hassan on 20 November 2004{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/22/stories/2004112202140300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050113235315/http://www.hindu.com/2004/11/22/stories/2004112202140300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 January 2005|newspaper=The Hindu|title=Karnataka / Hassan News : Veerendra Heggade given 'Vatika Varshada Kannadiga' award|date=22 November 2004}}
- Padma Vibhushan (2015) by the Government of India for social work{{cite web|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-list-padma-awards-2015/524838-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127225955/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-list-padma-awards-2015/524838-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-01-27|title=News18.com: CNN-News18 Breaking News India, Latest News Headlines, Live News Updates|website=News18}}
- Sri Bhagavan Mahaveera Peace Award by Government of Karnataka{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}
Controversies
=Sowjanya Murder Case=
Sowjanya, a 17-year-old student, was raped and murdered in Dharmasthala in 2012, and the case remains unresolved, with the accused acquitted in 2023 due to lack of evidence.{{cite news|url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/eleven-years-and-many-probes-later-no-trace-of-the-killers-of-this-teen/article67043108.ece |title= Mystery of Dharmasthala: Eleven years and many probes later, no trace of Soujanya's killer Premium |date=28 July 2023 |via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=TheHindu}} Activists and the victim's family accuse influential figures, possibly connected to Heggade, of shielding the real culprits. Additionally, reports highlight around 462 unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala over 10 years (up to 2013), suggesting a pattern of systemic issues.{{cite news|url= https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Mangalore/protesters-demand-probe-into-all-unnatural-deaths-in-dharmasthala/article5334954.ece |title= Protesters demand probe into all unnatural deaths in Dharmasthala |date=16 November 2021 |via=www.thehindu.com|newspaper=TheHindu}}
In response, Heggade has stated that the name of Dharmasthala is being tarnished by those opposing its progress and has emphasized his commitment to serving the community despite facing criticism.[https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/sowjanya-murder-name-dharmasthala-being-misused-say-veerendra-heggade-179978 The News Minute] "Name of Dharmasthala being misused, says Veerendra Heggade"
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://shridharmasthala.org Official website]
{{commons category|Veerendra Heggade}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
- http://www.newskarnataka.com/mangalore/dr-veerendra-heggade-to-share-stage-with-pm-on-world-yoga-day
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heggade, Veerendra}}
Category:Indian philanthropists
Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in social work
Category:20th-century Indian Jains
Category:People from Dakshina Kannada district
Category:Recipients of the Karnataka Ratna
Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in social work
Category:21st-century Indian Jains