HDK affirms his version of truth

All that I need to state before the God with regard to honourable Chief Minister (B S Yeddyurappa) making an attempt for a rapprochement with me is just this: A mediator sent by honourable Chief Minister wanted to buy my silence on exposing corruption in the Yeddyurappa-led government by releasing documents.

“He (the mediator) also assured money and even promised to get all my works done by the government on priority.

“This is the truth...the truth...the truth...,” read the letter written by former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy to Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr D Veerendra Heggade.

Kumaraswamy, who emerged from the temple after a darshan of the deity, read out the letter to presspersons waiting in the rain. He said to prove his point, he had no choice, but to accept the challenge posed by the chief minister.

Noting that Karnataka’s politics is “at the crossroads”, Kumaraswamy said it was unfortunate that the chief minister made an attempt to mix religion with politics.

“He has made an evil attempt to answer my political allegation by taking shelter under the garb of religion,” he said.

“Never was there any attempt in the past to drag such a revered religious centre into politics,” he said and praised Dharmasthala which is a place of holy trinity of faiths where the Shaivite God, Vaishnavite priests and a Jain Dharmadhikari have come together.
Three traditions

There are three types of procedures (traditions) at Sri Kshethra Dharmasthala. They are: ‘Aane’ (swearing the truth), ‘Pramaana’ (taking a oath/vow) and ‘Huyilu’ (written submission).

Any individual can resort to ‘Aane’ against any person anywhere (not necessarily in temple) in the name of Lord Manjunatha, while to make ‘Pramaana’, one has to take bath in River Nethravathi in the vicinity, pay a sum of Rs 11 as offering to the temple and then stand before the sanctum sanctorum and take oath in the name of Lord Manjunatha.

The belief is that the person (or his family members or next generation) lying will incur the Lord’s wrath. In this case, the tradition (ritual) also demands that after taking oath, both the persons should not stay under one roof or should not partake food.
The third procedure is ‘Huyilu’ wherein the person or both will submit his or their petition(s) in writing to the temple and Dharmadhikari will settle the dispute on a particular date (a practice lauded by Supreme Court judges too).