Hanuman Garhi Mandir: Interesting Facts About The Monkey God And The 10th Century Temple

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Lord Hanuman is considered to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva and is referred to as the Monkey God in Hinduism. He is regarded as one of the five blessed Immortals" whose presence can be felt even today in temples and real life occasions.

When it was time for Lord Ram to leave to his abode of Vaikuntha, he had ceded the reign of Ayodhya to Hanuman. Go through the article to know more about this mysterious place and the interesting facts associated with it.

Hanuman Garhi Mandir: About The Monkey God

One of the central characters of Ramayana, who played a pivotal role in this epic was Lord Hanuman who was a devotee of Lord Rama, and hence he commands the respect and devotion of the people of Ayodhya.

Lord Hanuman is a much- revered deity in both Hindu and Jain religions as he is a repository of ashta siddhis, and powers which he uses to grant boons to his devotees. He is considered to be the reincarnation of Lord Shiva. The Lord Hanuman is regarded as one of the five blessed Immortals" whose presence can be felt even today in temples and real life occasions. When it was time for Lord Ram to leave to his abode of Vaikuntha, he had ceded the reign of Ayodhya to Hanuman.

It is a perfect place to confess your deepest desires in the presence of Hanuman, to get them fulfilled in an instant. Devotees walk barefoot towards the temple with no profane intentions towards the deity, and pray to Lord Hanuman with full devotion. It is believed that by doing this, all wishes are fulfilled. The major festivals celebrated here are the Ram Navami and Chaudah Kosi Parikrama. Devotees visit in hordes and offer prayers. Some people still believe that Ram Janma Bhoomi is being taken care of by Lord Hanuman and that he still dwells in this cave. The temple area has a string of Prasad, flowers and pooja shops as well.

The history of Hanuman Garhi is shrouded by its own mysteries that reminds us of its glorious past and brings on visions of Lord Ram's Ayodhya.

Hanuman Garhi Mandir: About The Temple

Somewhere in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, while journeying inside the city of Ayodhya, you reach an 10th century Hanuman temple, which looks more like a fortress than a shrine. The approach to this temple seems rather difficult, as one has to ascend a number of steps, 76 to be precise, to reach the Sanctum inside. Hanuman, during the times of Ramayana, is believed to have lived in this fortress, as a guardian angel for his Ramkot or the present -day Ayodhya.

A hugely popular temple, known for its powerful vibrations and a string of miracles that are working even today on the lives of the numerous devotees, Hanuman Garhi is open throughout the year for darshan, and it welcomes devotees between 5:00 am to 11:00 pm. A noteworthy feature of this temple is its staircase with 76 steps, as well as the unusually colourful and quaint architecture that exudes a rustic charm. There is a cave in here, which is known to be the resting place of Hanuman. There is an idol of Hanuman, a statue of his mother Anjani, and Bal hanuman inside the premises. It is here that one can find the statue of Bal Hanuman nestled comfortably in Mother Anjani's lap. The central part of the shrine has an elevated verandah where Mahant, chief priests along with others conduct sermons and devotees also use this as a worshipping area. The temple complex is a huge structure that is shaped as a four -sided fort with circular bastions. It is always hugely crowded here., especially during the times of Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami, when the entire city wakes up to an old era that Lord Ram was an integral part of. Visitors, naturally bedazzled by the divine aura of the city, throng to get the darshan of Bhajrangbali in his actual home.

Hanuman Garhi Mandir: Interesting Facts

• The Hanuman Garhi is present on the right bank of the Sarayu river.
• The temple is structured as a fortress at the heart of Ayodhya, and Inside the Garhi, you can find a cave where Hanuman was believed to have resided in order to guard Ramkot (Sri Ram's birthplace)
• It is actually a cave which was initially modified to appear like a temple. It underwent some structural renovations, that actually gave it the appearance of a fortress.
• Hanumangarhi is also the tallest building in Ayodhya's that can be seen from all angles. The area around the temple covers about 52 bighas in which Lord Hanuman's temple and the residential complex are located.
• You have to climb up 76 steps to reach the temple premises where you can see Bal Hanuman comfortably seated on Mother Anjana's lap.
• Bhaktas follow the tradition of taking Hanuman's darshan before proceeding to the Ram temple. Interestingly, the murti of Hanuman measures only 6 inches.
• Upto the 17th century period, it was a mound and the small murti was worshipped under a tree. Vikramaditya, during his reign, built around 360 temples at Ramnagari during the reign of Vikramaditya. Many of these were destroyed under the reign of Aurangzeb. After the demolition, Hanuman Garhi continued to exist in the form of a mound till the 17th century.
• Mahant Baba Abhayram of Ayodhya used the power of his devotion in Lord Hanuman to cure the incurable disease of Shuja-ud-daula's son. The Nawab, overjoyed, asked Baba if he wanted any reward for this. Baba stated that he wanted a temple to be constructed for Lord Hanuman to which Nawab agreed and the temple was completed 300 years ago with the help of Saint Abhayaramdas a devotee of Mahant Baba Abhayram.

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