Who is Veerendra Heggade? Know everything about philanthropist nominated for Rajya Sabha

Veerendra Heggade Rajya Sabha: Veerendra Heggade, a dedicated philanthropist for more than 5 decades has been nominated for Rajya Sabha along with 3 others, including iconic music composer Ilaiyaraaja, legendary athlete PT Usha and the acclaimed screenwriter-director KV Vijayendra Prasad. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, while congratulating Veerendra Heggade via Twitter, said that he has been at the forefront of outstanding community service and he will certainly enrich the Parliamentary Proceedings.

Veerendra Heggade, since the tender age of 20, served as the ‘Dharmadhikari’ of the Dharmasthala Temple in Karnataka and has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades.  Veerendra Heggade has also received multiple awards for his numerous contributions. He was awarded the Karnataka Ratna Award for the year 2009. It is the highest civilian award in Karnataka.

ಸಮುದಾಯಕ್ಕೆ ಮಹೋನ್ನತ ಸೇವೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವ ನಿಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೀ ವೀರೇಂದ್ರ ಹೆಗ್ಗಡೆಯವರು ಮುಂಚೂಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಧರ್ಮಸ್ಥಳದ ದೇವಾಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸುವ ಅವಕಾಶ ಹಾಗು ಅವರು ಆರೋಗ್ಯ,ಶಿಕ್ಷಣ ಮತ್ತು ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಕ್ಷೇತ್ರದಲ್ಲಿ ಕೈಗೊಂಡಿರುವ ಮಹತ್ತರ ಕಾರ್ಯಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗುವ ಅವಕಾಶ ನನಗೆ ಒದಗಿತ್ತು. pic.twitter.com/KwoNdZyW6Z

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2022

Veerendra Heggade: Biography

Who is Veerendra Heggade?

Veerendra Heggade has been serving as the ‘Dharmadhikari’ of the Dharmasthala Temple based in Karnataka since the age of 20 years. Heggade has been a devoted philanthropist for more than five decades and has led various transformative initiatives for the rural development and promotion of self-employment.

Veerendra Heggade is also credited for establishing the Rural development and Self-employment Training Institute (RDSETI) to spread awareness about self-employment opportunities and train rural youth.

Veerendra Heggade has also conceptualized the Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala Rural Development Project. It is an initiative for the inclusive rural development and self-employment in Karnataka. Currently, the project has more than 6 lakh SHGs and over 49 lakh members.

Veerendra Heggade: Early Life

Veerendra Heggade was born on November 23, 1948, in Bantawal, Karnataka. Heggade was born as the eldest son of Dharmadhikari Ratnavarma Heggade and Rathnamma Heggade.

Veerendra Heggade belongs to the Pergade dynasty of Tulu lineage who are the hereditary trsutees of the famous Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.

Veerendra Heggade has three younger brothers- Harshendra Kumar, Surendra Kumar and Rajendra Kumar, and one sister Padmalata.

Veerendra Heggade Wife

Veerendra Heggade married Hemavathi Heggade in a match arranged by their parents. They have one daughter Shraddha Heggade.

Veerendra Heggade Net Worth

Veerendra Heggade’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million- $4 million. He is also a car collector and a passionate photographer. Heggade’s car collection is on display in Dharmastala.

Veerendra Heggade Philanthropist

1. Veerendra Heggade has been conducting Free Mass Marriage every year in Shri Kshethra Dharmasthala since 1972. Around 10,000 couples have been married under this scheme since April 2004.

2. Heggade introduced a rural development project in the coastal area of Karnataka, comprising 600 villages and 6 towns.

3. He has also been promoting solar energy and providing such facilities to many villages.

4. Veerendra Heggade established the Rural Development and Self-Employment Training Institute (RUDSETI) in the collaboration with Syndicate Bank, Syndicate Agricultural Foundation and Canara Bank to train the rural youth for self-employment and volunteering for rural development in 1982.

5. He also runs the Annapoorna Kitchen at Dharmasthala which is one of the largest and the oldest family run kitchens in India. It feeds around 50,000 people every day.

Veerendra Heggade Awards and Honours

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