Dharmasthala : Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala is well known for holding an religions conference as also Kannada literary convention during the lights festival held annually.

This time 81^st such conference of all religions and literature was held on Sunday Dec.1 in the presents of several religious heads and scholars representing the important religions of the world.

Inaugurating the meet, law Minister, T.B. Jayachandra, told the audience that he was regular visitor to the holly temple of Manjunatha in Dharmasthala, because of which he has now become a Minister. Certain persons have made wrong allegations against the temple and its administrators in recent times in its 800 year old history, but people are not going to be misled by their accusations and remained loyal to the deity and the Dharmadhikari. He hoped that the purity and glory of Dharmasthala will be maintained by its devotees forever, not bothering about false charges  hurled against the Kshethra unless a fact finding committee as released its findings, the way CBI would investigate into the charges now made.

The seer of Dingaleshwar Math of Gadag, who presided, explained the various facets of Dharma and the eminence of Dharma practiced in Sri Dharmasthala for centuries. He stated that one should not only practice his own religion, but try to find out what is contained in other religions as well. It is the religious duty of every follower of any religion to tolerate others religions and its followers he added that not to know your neighbour next door is not religion. All people following various religions and living 1 country should be able to corporate with each other as in trade or agriculture.

Representatives of Jain, Islam and Catholic religions presented their discourses to explain what their religion stood for.

Dr. Saraswathi Vijaykumar, M. Yasin Malpe,  Prof. Fr. Anil Prasad, D. Surendra Kumar and Pro. S. Prabhakar and others took part in the Convention.