Veerendra Heggade is indeed a Jain (Digambar Jain Bunt family), but:

• He is not a Hindu priest.
• He is the hereditary administrator (Dharmadhikari) of the Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara Temple.

In Dharmasthala there is a very special and old system:

1. Temple structure at Dharmasthala

- Main deity in the big temple: Lord Manjunatha (Shiva) – a Hindu deity. - Priests who do the daily Hindu puja: Vaishnav (Hindu) Brahmin priests, not Jains. - Administration and management (land, money, festivals, social projects, decisions): Heggade family, who are Jain. - In the same town there are also Jain basadis and even Jain Tirthankara (Chandraprabhu) idol worshipped.

So Dharmasthala itself is built as a place of “sarva‑dharma‑samanvaya” – harmony of many faiths.

1. What exactly does Veerendra Heggade do?

- He manages the temple and its properties. - He oversees the social projects – education, hospitals, de‑addiction camps, village development, etc. - He participates in public rituals and festivals as the head of the institution. - The actual Hindu worship (archana, abhisheka, etc.) is done by Hindu priests, according to their agama rules.

So his role is mainly “Dharmadhikari / Trustee / Head of the institution”, not a religious convert.

1. How can a Jain be head of a Hindu temple from a Jain‑Dharma point of view?

In Jain Dharma, especially for householders (shrāvaks):

• The highest and only ultimate refuge is:

- Arihant - Siddha - Acharya - Upadhyaya - Sādhu (Panch Parmesthi)

• But Jains also accept existence of devas (heavenly beings, guardian deities).
• In both Digambar and Shvetambar tradition, you will see yaksha–yakshini and other devata idols even in Jain temples (as śāsana dev / devi, protective deities).

So, from a traditional Jain view:

• Worship of Jinas (Tirthankars) is for moksha.
• Respect / seva to devatas can be for worldly welfare, protection, social harmony etc.
• A Jain householder may:

- respect local devatas, - take part in local cultural / religious events, - while still keeping his dradh nishchay (firm inner faith) in the Jinas and Jain Dharma.

1. What is “behind” this arrangement historically?

• The Pergade / Heggade family were local Jain chieftains.
• Long ago, they were given the responsibility to protect and manage that kshetra.
• Over time, a unique system developed:

- Hindu deity (Shiva as Manjunatha), - Jain administrators, - Hindu priests, - Jain basadis alongside the main temple.

This is why everyone says Dharmasthala is an example of religious harmony, not of one religion swallowing the other.

1. From a Jain‑Dharma standpoint, how to see Veerendra Heggade?

• As a Jain shravak who:

- Has taken on a hereditary duty to manage a major kshetra. - Uses that platform for massive seva: education, health, de‑addiction, rural upliftment. - Publicly maintains respect for all faiths, while personally belonging to Jain community.

So, he is not “leaving Jainism” to worship Hindu gods. He is a Jain administering a multi‑faith, mainly Hindu, pilgrimage center, as per an old tradition, and participating in its customs while his basic religious identity remains Jain.