Omnipotent Maruti

Around the same period last year (10 Dec08 to be precise) I was in Bhopal, capital city of Madhya Pradesh (MP) on a Business related visit and as the plane made its early morning landing , the contours of this scenic & remarkably clean city came into view . And during the long drive from the Airport to the city I chanced my sight upon a small yet magnificent temple of Hanuman adjacent to the Bada Talaab, a vast lake dotting the city. Before I could make up my mind to stopby & pay obeisance, the cabdriver had sped off. I was disappointed but later in the day, and by strange coincidence, I encountered another 2-3 Hanuman temples in the city. A pleasant surprise was in store for me later that evening when I learnt that it was the auspicious day of ‘Hanuman Jayanthi’. And today is one such auspicious day, Hanumantha Vrata is observed during Margashirsh month in Karnataka.

It is said that after Gayatri mantra , the Hanuman chalisa is perhaps the most recited verses in Hindu homes. Also it is generally believed that there are more Hanuman & Shiva (and Hanuman is considered an incarnation of shiva) temples in the country than any other deity. Popularly known as Sankat Mochan, he has the power to counter the negative influence of Shani (Saturn) & other planetary influences. His chalisa recited 108 times has the power to keep evil at Bay. So no wonder he has a long list of admirers, apart from Obama, celebrities like Amitabh Bachahhan , Lalu Yadav, Bappi Lahari etc are his admirers & followers.

Like his deeds he stands tall in many places in India, his statue at Pusa road Delhi is 108 ft, am sure the one on Bangalore-Tumkur road is nearly as big. There’s a famous temple called Gaali-Anjaneya Gudi in Bangalore, one of the oldest in this part of the country dating back to 1425 AD. Then there is Prasanna Veeranjaneya temple in Mahalaxmipura, one of the frequently visited temples by Hanuman devotees. It has a 22-foot-tall Hanuman statue standing atop a hillock. However my favourite is the Ragigudda, Sri Prasanna Anjaneya Temple in the religious, social and cultural hub of Bangalore, Jayanagar.

Hanuman has an interesting connection with my aradhya Guru ‘Sri Raghavendra Swami’, a 16th century saint. In appreciation of his penance for 12 long years in a cave near Panchamukhi, located on the south bank of river Tungabhadra near Mantralaya, Lord Anjaneya (panchamukhi pranadevaru) is said to have appeared before him in a unique way amalgamating within him the avataras of "varaha, garuda, anjaneya, narasimha and hayagreeva"

Hanuman is one God who has been rediscovered in modern times, he is cool, high on emotional quotient & stands for universal timeless values and is sported everywhere including popular animation films & Playstation games and my son just like me is a big fan & devotee of him. Jai Hanuman!