Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, May 29: On behalf of all the Jains, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade was accorded a warm and emotional honour at his birth place, Bantwal. The people of his birth place exulted at the opportunity to offer their respect and love to Heggade, who had left this place as a young boy, to grow to be a leader, social worker and organizer of international eminence and stature.

Heggade was born and brought up at the Bandasale near river Netravati in the town. He completed his primary education in the board school here. After being enthroned as the Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari at a young age of 20, Heggade as the first step reconstructed the local Adinathaswami Jina Chaityalaya. He converted the Bandasale where he grew, as the centre of his brainchild, Dharmasthala Village Development Project’s local office.

To express their gratitude for the initiatives taken by Heggade to develop the taluk, the Jain Samaj and Jain Milan here jointly felicitated Heggade and his wife Hemavati Heggade on Thursday May 29.  Heggade, who gratefully accepted the honour, said that character makes a man. Character also brings recognition and respect to a person. People should strive to inculcate good character and lead an ideal life in the society, he advised. His address was interspersed with anecdotes from his childhood life he spent here.

Heggade visited Sri Adinathaswami Chaityalaya at Bastipadpu here, from where the couple was brought in a process to the venue of felicitation, Sri Dharmastala Kalyana Mantap. On this occasion, a volume  titled 'Jina Maitri' containing full details of the Jains and Jain Basadis in Bantwal taluk that was in the pipeline since long,  was released by Heggade. MLA B Ramanath Rai, Jain Samaj president P Jinaraj Ariga, secretary Pa Anantaraj Indra, Jain Milan president Sudarshan Jain, secretary Subhaschandra Jain and many others were present.