10 Famous Hanuman Temples in India

 As a child, he mistook the Sun for a ripe fruit and tried to eat it. He flew over an ocean to find Lord Rama’s wife, Sita, who was a captive in Lanka. He could become as tiny as a fly or as huge as a mountain. He could do many things more that strike wonder in the heart as he had the Ashta Siddhis and was blessed by all the gods in heaven. Who was he? The monkey god, Hanuman!
 

Hanuman, who Hindus worship as a deity, was a great devotee of Lord Rama. He plays a major role in the Ramayana. As a Chiranjivi or immortal, he also appears in many texts like the Mahabharata, Puranas, and even Jain texts.
 
Hanuman helped Rama immensely in his battle against the demon king Ravana, who had abducted his wife, Sita. Some believe that he is an avatar of Shiva. He was born to Anjana and Kesari, but he is also described as the son of Vayu, the Wind God.
 
Hanuman is Rudra, an avatar of Shiva, in the Mahabhagvata Purana, the Skanda Purana, the Brhaddharma Purana, the Mahanataka, etc. A 17th-century Odia text, Rasavinoda, by Dinakrishnadasa, says that the Trimurtis– Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva – combined to become Hanuman.
 
Hanuman’s importance increased in the medieval period, and he was regarded as the ideal devotee of Rama. He was also a lifelong bachelor.
 
Indian wrestlers believe that Hanuman’s celibacy is the secret behind his strength. Anjana, Hanuman’s mother, was an apsara who was under a curse. On giving birth to Hanuman, she became free of the curse. The Valmiki Ramayana says that his father, Kesari, was the son of Rahu and the king of Sumeru. Anjana performed rigorous penance for 12 long years to Shiva for a child. Finally, Shiva granted her wish.
 
As a child, he thought that the Sun was a ripe mango, and he flew up into the sky to eat it. Planet Rahu was also pursuing the Sun to create an eclipse, and the two had a fight. Hanuman beat Rahu and tried to swallow the Sun. Rahu went to Lord Indra, king of the Gods, and complained. An angry Indra threw his weapon, the Vajra (thunderbolt), at Hanuman. It struck his jaw, and he fell down, unconscious. His chin bore a permanent scar due to the impact of Vajra. This is how he got the name, Bajrangbali. Hanuman’s godfather, Vayu, was upset by this and stopped blowing. Without air, everyone began to suffocate. Indra then reversed the effect of Vajra, and the gods blessed the child with several boons to please Vayu.
 
As the 11th avatar of Shiva in Kali-yuga, Hanuman has many worshippers in all parts of India. Hence, he is also said to be the living God of Kali-yuga. Lord Hanuman is supposedly very responsive to his devotees’ prayers.
 
Here are the 10 famous Hanuman temples in India, which lakhs of devotees visit every year.
 
1. Hanumangadhi, Ayodhya
 
The Hanumangadhi temple in Ayodhya is on the right bank of the Sarayu river. It stands atop a high hill. One has to climb 76 stairs to reach the temple. The Hanuman idol here is only 6 inches long, and garlands adorn it always.
 
2. Balaji Hanuman Temple, Mehendipur (Rajasthan)
 
This temple lies in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, between two mountains, One can find a large rock in the shape of Hanuman that was self-manifested. At the feet of the idol is a small water pond which never goes dry, say legends.
 
3. Salasar Hanuman Temple, Salasar (Rajasthan)
 
This temple is in Salasar, a small village in Rajasthan’s Churu district. Here, there is a Hanuman statue that has a beard and mustache. Local lore says that a farmer found this Hanuman statue while walking around a field. The idol sits on a gold throne now.
 
4. Hanumandhara, Chitrakut (UP)
 
Hanumandhara is a small place near Chitrakut in Uttar Pradesh. Here, we can find an old idol of Lord Hanuman that has been standing against a mountain for years, as well as a small water body touching the idol. It flows into the river. Legends say that the stream was created when Lord Rama shot an arrow into the ground. The water from the stream soothed the burns on Hanuman when he returned after burning Lanka.
 
5. Sankatmochan Temple, Benaras (UP)
 
Benaras (Varanasi) is an ancient place associated with Hanuman’s name. The big Hanuman temple here, known as Sankatmochan, is believed to be established by Saint GoswamiTulsidas (author of Ramacharitamanasa) in the early 16th century. It lies on the banks of the Assi river. Local lore says that he had a vision of Hanuman in the spot where the temple stands.
 
6. Shri Hanuman Temple, Jamnagar (Gujarat)
 
This Hanuman temple came up in 1540, along with Jamnagar. Since 1964, the Rama dhuni has been sung here continuously, and it entered the Guinness book of world records for this reason.
 
7. Mahavir Hanuman Temple, Patna (Bihar)
 
This temple stands opposite Patna junction. Next to the Vaishno Devi Temple, it’s this temple that receives the most offerings. Devotees deposit around 1 lakh rupees in this temple daily.
 
8. Hanuman Temple, Allahabad (UP)
 
This temple is attached to the Allahabad fort. The Hanuman idol here is in a lying position and is 20 feet long.
 
9. Shri Panchamukha Aanjanayar, Kumbakonam (Tamil Nadu)
 
 Lord Panchamukha (five-faced) Anjaneya Swami was the main deity that Sri Raghavendra Swami worshipped. The site where he meditated on this five-faced form of Hanuman is called Panchamukhi, and one can find a temple for him here. One can also find a shrine for Panchamukha Anjaneya at Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu. There is a 40 feet tall monolithic green granite idol of Panchamukha Hanuman in Thiruvallur, also in Tamil Nadu. It was a saint called Venkatesa Bhattar who established the Panchamukha Hanuman Ashram.
 
10. Shri Kashtbhanjan Hanuman Temple, Sarangpur (Gujarat)
 
This Hanuman Mandir is in Sarangpur, Gujarat. It comes under the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampraday and is also one of the more prominent ones in the Sampraday. It is dedicated to Hanuman as Kashtbhanjan (one who crushes sorrows).
 
Sadguru Gopalanand Swami installed the Hanuman idol here. Supposedly, when Sadguru Gopalanand Swami installed the idol, he touched it with a rod, and the idol came to life and moved. This story is now a charter for the healing ritual that is performed at this temple. The idol is a stout figure and has a handlebar mustache. He crushes a female demon under his foot and bares his teeth. It stands among sculpted foliage full of monkey attendants bearing fruit.