Lord Hanuman is an incarnation of Lord Shiva and an ardent worshipper of Lord Rama, Lord Vishnu’s seventh avatar. Hanuman Ji is sometimes referred to as the monkey god and lord of strength. Lord Hanuman is among the most revered deities in Hinduism. There are several Hanuman mandir in India that are well-recognized.
Lord Hanuman is one of the central figures in the Hindu epic Ramayana and its several iterations. As one of the Chiranjivi, he is mentioned in many other texts, like the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and some Jain texts.
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He is the son of Anjana and Kesari, because of which he is also known as Anjaneya, Anjaniputra, Kesari Nandana, and many more. He is also referred to as the “son of Wind God Vayu”, who played a significant role in his birth. For this reason, he is also known as Pawan Putra and Maruti. He was revered as a protector in India. There are numerous sculptures and temples devoted to him.
Among these temples, we have listed the 15 most famous temples of Lord Hanuman in India:
1. Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Varanasi
This Hanuman mandir is a Hindu temple located on the banks of the Assi River in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. It was established by famous Hindu preacher and poet Sri Goswami Tulsidas in the early 16th century. “Sankat Mochan” means “reliever of troubles.” In this temple, Lord Hanuman, who worshipped Rama with unwavering devotion, stands facing him.
2. Hanuman Mandir CP, Delhi
This Hanuman mandir is situated in Connaught Place, New Delhi, India. This ancient temple is claimed to be one of the five temples created by Pandavas during the Mahabharat days in Delhi (Indraprastha). In this temple, the idol of Lord Hanuman is worshipped as “Sri Hanuman Ji Maharaj,” i.e., the Great Lord Hanuman. The door of this temple is silver-plated and engraved with scenes from the epic Ramayana story.
3. Balaji Hanuman Temple, Mehandipur
Balaji Hanuman mandir is located on the border of Karaui District and Dausa District, Mehandipur. Here, Lord Hanuman is referred to as Balaji because the childhood (Bala in Hindi) form of the Lord is celebrated here. This is one of India’s most famous Hanuman temples, especially in northern India. This temple is famous for ritualistic healing, the exorcism of evil spirits, and black magic.
4. Kashtbhanjan Hanuman Mandir, Salangpur
Kashtbhanjan Hanumanji mandir is a Hindu temple located in Salangpur, Gujarat. This temple is dedicated to Hanuman Ji in the form of Kastbhanjan, which means the “Crusher of Sorrows.” This Hanuman temple is considered to be the holiest and most sacred temple. Here, the idol of Lord Hanuman is a stout figure with a handlebar mustache, crushing a female demon under his foot and baring his teeth, standing among sculpted fruit-bearing monkey attendants.
5. Shri Hanuman Mandir, Jamnagar
This Hanuman Temple is situated on the southeastern side of Ranmai Lake, in Jamnagar. The best part about this temple is the 24-hour chanting of the mantra (hymn) “Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram” since 1964, which also earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for continuous chanting. Thousands of devotees visit the temple every year. It is also believed to be one of the oldest temples built in Jamnagar.
6. Salasar Hanuman Mandir, Salasar
Salasar Hanuman temple is commonly known as Salasar Balaji Temple (Bala is the childhood form of Lord Hanuman). It is a religious place for devotees of Lord Hanuman. It is located in the Salasar Town of Churu District in Rajasthan, India. This Hanuman mandir is situated right in the heart of Salasar town. Every year, people come from all over India to attend fairs organized during the months of Chaitra and Ashwin.
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7. Hanuman Dhara, Chitrakoot
Hanuman Dhara is one of the greatest temples dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It is located in one of the wooded hills of Chitrakoot, about 5 km from Ram Ghat. This place is known as Hanuman Dhara because of a gentle water stream that flows over the statue of Lord Hanuman. This statue is built with red stone marble. This is accessed through stairs. There is also a small structure inside the temple named Sita Rasoi. This is also a major attraction for tourists.
8. Lete Hanuman Mandir, Allahabad
Shri Lete Hanuman Ji, commonly known as Bade Hanuman Ji, is located near Triveni Sangam beside Allahabad Fort in Prayagraj, India. It is one of the ancient temples of Lord Hanuman in India that has great sacred and holy beliefs. The idol in this temple is placed in a supine position or veer-mudra; that’s why it is known as Lete Hanuman Ji. It is the only idol of Lord Hanuman in a sleeping position.
9. Jakhoo Temple, Himachal Pradesh
Jakhu or Jakhoo Temple is an ancient temple of Lord Hanuman located in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. It is situated on Shimla’s highest peak, i.e., Jakhu Hill. The statue of Shri Lord Hanuman Jakhu present in the temple premises is considered to be one of the tallest in the world. According to the Ramayana epic, this is the place where Lord Hanuman stopped for rest while searching for Sanjivni Booti to revive Lakshmana.
10. Mahavir Mandir, Patna
Mahavir Mandir, dedicated to Lord Hanuman, is one of the sacred temples located in Patna, Bihar. Every year, millions of devotees come to visit this temple from all over India. This famous temple is a symbol of devotion and spirit. The naivedyam offered by the Hanuman temple is famous all over the country. Saturdays and Tuesdays are the busiest days of the year. Other than this, the busiest days are Ram Navami and New Year’s Day celebrations.
11. Hanumangarhi, Ayodhya
Located near Ram Janmbhoomi in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh this temple was built in the 10th century. It is one of the most important temples in Ayodhya after the under-constructed Ram Mandir. It was built in the 10th century. There is a custom or ritual of visiting Hanuman Garhi before visiting the Ram Mandir. The Hanuman mandir portrays Hanuman’s mother, Anjani, with Bala Hanuman sitting on her lap.
12. Panchmukh Anjaneyar Swami Ji, Kumbakonam
Located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu this place is mythologically related to the Ramayana epic because it is said that Ahi Ravan captured Lord Ram and Laxman in a paatal lok and lit five lamps. So, to protect Lord Ram, Lord Hanuman entered Paatal Lok and took Panchmukha form to extinguish the lamps. This is why it is known as the Panchmukha Hanuman Temple.
13. Bet Dwarka Hanuman Temple, Gujarat
Commonly known as Dandi Hanuman Temple, is a magnificent and unique temple of Lord Hanuman. It is situated five kilometers east of Bet or Beyt Dwarka’s main Shri Krishna Temple in Dwarka (the kingdom of Shri Krishna). Basically, Dandi Hanuman signifies the joyous hanuman. The sculpture of Lord Hanuman and Sri Makaradwaj is placed in this temple, showing their joyful and happy mood.
14. Karmanghat Hanuman Mandir, Telangana
The Karmanghat Hanuman Temple is one of the oldest and most popular temples of Lord Hanuman in Hyderabad, Telangana, a state of India. It is located at Karmanghat, near Santoshnagar. The main deity of this temple is Lord Hanuman. The temple is very popular among devotees in Hyderabad. The best part about this temple is “annadanam,” meaning free meals are given to limited people on all days of the year by the temple management.
15. Tirupati Balaji, Andhra Pradesh
It is a Vedic Hanuman temple in the hill town of Tirumala near Tirupati, located in the Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in the world. This temple is also known as the Lord Venkateshwara Temple. Venkateshwara means “the Lord, who frees us from all of our sins.” It is said to be the richest temple in the whole world in terms of donations received and wealth.
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