As we celebrate the victory of Ram Janmabhoomi, it will be interesting to know about the birth place of His dearest devotee Hanuman ji in Karnataka.

Hanuman ji was born to an Apsara mother, Anjani who served in the courts of Lord Brahma as a celestial nymph.  She was cursed by a Rishi for falling in love. She got adorned with a monkey face and was wedded to Kesari - the King of Apes! Vayu was the celestial father and hence Hanuman ji is known as Vayu Putra, Kesari Nandan and Anjani Putra. Hanuman is a Sanskrit term for 'broken jaw’ which is another story. It is believed that Hanuman as a hungry kid swallowed the sun leaving the world devoid of light. And Lord Indra had to break Hanuman ji’s monkey jaw with a Vajra (diamond) to get sunlight back to the earth. Hence He came to be known as Hanuman, the broken jaw. There are a lot of stories about Him. Hanuman is also known to have five brothers - Matiman, Shruthiman, Kethuman, Gatiman and Dhritiman. Hanuman is a Saviour  for Hindus, who saves them from all troubles. Let me focus on the center piece of this article that is the Birth place of Hanuman.

 

 Hampi in Karnataka, which is about 300 kms from Bangalore city, is a glorious world-famous tourist destination. 30 kms away from Hampi is Anegudi, a small nondescript town on the other bank of the Tungabhadra River. It is three kms from a small hillock called Anjanadri hill,the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, which is also the capital city of Vanara King Hill, Vali. Six more hills surround this hill - Kishkinda, Matanga, Malyavanta, Rushyamukha, Hemakuta and Ratnakuta. This hill range extends deep into Hampi. This is documented in the inscriptions in the years of 1069 AD and 1088 AD at Devighat and Somnath.

 The geographical location of Anjanadri hill is Chikharampur, Anegundi in Gangavathi Taluk in Koppal Dist. There are buses, auto and taxis available from Hampi. The base town for Hampi is Hospet which has a railway station, bus station and is a commercial hub eleven kms from Hampi. This is a tourist hub with decent hotels where tourists can stay. Apart from Hampi, there is a lot of ASI marked tourist spots. One could spend a week as a tourist here and enjoy the cultural heritage of this place. If you are an aesthetic artist you can even spend a month and capture its uniqueness and beauty. This region is an international tourist destination and is quite reasonable for domestic tourists.

 

 Anjanadri hill, Lord Hanuman hill's birthplace is approximately 3.5 kms trek uphill one way. One can only reach here by foot through the 576 rough rock cut steps. The entire path is flocked by monkeys; there are few langurs as well. All these are fed by temple authorities and one can donate money for their food as well. The monkeys merrily attack the pilgrims’ baggage for food and one has to be cautious. The abode has a temple of Hanuman which is white washed and in the shape of a pyramid. Poojas are conducted daily with great devotion and the devotees come in large numbers every day. The locals and regular worshippers can carry a huge flag during their yatra to this place and also wear orange clothes. Festivals are celebrated with grandeur here.  

 The sunrise and sunset here is spectacular and the place is often flooded with tourists and photographers to capture the same. Foreign travelers flock this hilltop in large numbers during the day, though they may know little about its significance.

 

 In recent times, a pack of six cheetahs had killed a local inhabitant. Two of the cheetahs have been trapped, but four are still roaming freely. Thus it is a treat for tourists who are interested in wild life. Currently, the Forest Department of Karnataka has shut the entry to the Dhandaka hill range of seven hills for tourists. Presently, the Anjanadri hill is open only between 9 AM and 3 PM for tourists and pilgrims. The photographers will be disappointed as they will miss the spectacular sunrise and sunset.

 On Hanuman Jayanthi day, the hill gets crowded with thousands of devotees, pilgrims, and inquisitive tourists. It’s a day-long celebration on His birthday. The locals are all worshippers of Hanuman and they observe many rituals and maintain vrats as a mark of His belonging to this place. 

 

 

 

 Hanuman is worshipped throughout the length and breadth of India. Surely a place where He was considered to be born should be an important place for His devotees from throughout India. This place holds huge tourist potential in Karnataka and the State Government can do better by promoting this destination and by encouraging establishment of more facilities here. This place holds good prospect for both pilgrims as well as tourists.  

 

 

Jagdeesh Laxman Singh is a Travel Photographer and Writer

 

Picture credits: Jagdeesh Laxman Singh

 

 

 

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