Exploring the Birth Place of the Indian Superhero: Hanuman

With magical powers to assume the form of any object and glide swiftly through the air, Hanuman’s achievements are akin to that of a superhero. A symbol of strength and energy, Hanuman is worshipped for his faithful devotion to Lord Rama. His birth anniversary or Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated every year on the 15^th day of Shukla Paksha, which is on April 25^th this year.

The true birthplace of Hanuman, however, is surrounded by controversy, with towns in several states claiming the title, including Gokarna in Karnataka, the Anjaneri Mountain in Nasik District and Anjaneya Hill in Hampi. I visited Anjaneya Hill, and regardless of whether it is Hanuman’s birthplace or not, it is definitely magical.

Photo Credit: nicocrisafulli / Flickr

A Spiritual Journey

Located away from the dusty centre of Hampi, Anjaneya Hill is best reached by car. At the bottom of the hill, look up at the steep slope, take a deep breath and get ready to climb the whitewashed steps up to the temple. The walk up isn’t easy but I stopped along the way and was able to admire the spectacular scenery over the river and the beautiful view over this inhospitable landscape. Naturally, the path is also home to plenty of cheeky monkeys who watched every move I made as they swung from tree to tree showing me the way to the temple.

Finally, on reaching the top, in front of me was the Hanuman temple. Inside, the story of the Ramayana is recited by a pundit in Hindi where I sat and listened for a while. Even though my Hindi is not great, the experience of resting there and listening was peaceful and spiritual. Here, there is also a rock with a carving of Hanuman and of course a small shrine for Lord Rama and his wife Sita.

Outside the temple, is a small area where I stood for a long time just admiring the view. To one side are harsh red boulders that look like they were thrown from the sky in a fit of rage. On the other side is a river lined with swaying palm trees and rice paddies. It is a surreal landscape in such an isolated location. I can only imagine what it must have been like all those years ago when Hanuman landed on these plains.

Photo Credit: Soham Banerjee / Wikimedia

A Traveller’s Town

Hampi is also home to some of the most splendid ancient temples and ruins that I have seen in India. The World Heritage Site complex dates back to the 1^st century AD in some parts, and includes Hindu temples that are spread across several sites. While this temple town is small, it is one of the friendliest traveller towns that I have come across in India. I happily spent a few days here enjoying the temples and relaxing by the river.

MakeMyTrip offers convenient trains to Hospet from where you can catch a bus to Hampi.