Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Visit to Nanganallur Vishwaroopa Adhivayadhihara Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple (Hanuman Temple in Nanganallur, Chennai)

Vishwaroopa Anjaneya Swamy in Nanganallur is said to be an abode of health, a healer.   

My Experiences

As child visiting Chennai, I was taken to Nanganallur, where a huge rock was in a big sculpturing mode, with the legs and the body completed in mid 80's.  I learnt that God Anjaneya is getting molded out of a single rock and the Lord is going to be a magnificiant 32 feet bringing in new meaning and destination of spiritual significance to Nanganallur which was already flooded by temples and a great heritage.  
 
Ramani Anna who was pioneer in sculpturing the Lord











As today, the world around celebrate the New Year and also the Birthday of Hanuman as Hanuman Jayanthi, I wasnt sure I could visit the temple for the queue was too long and heard that temple was thronged by the devotees from 1 am and it took 3 hours of waiting to catch a glimpse of the Lord on the New Year eve.  As we went to Ayyapan temple at 8.30 pm for a quick darshan, I wanted to see the Lord atleast from outside, but most fortunately we got to get into the temple just before the closing hours of 9 pm and had a wonderful darshan.  After the State Government took over the temple last year,  things have pretty much changed. However, the power of the Lord only sustained and brought in great peace to his devotees.  Today, the Hanuman Temple was decorated in a most colorful way and the whole place looked up with the festival colors, lights and sounds of en-chantings of 'Sri Ram, Jaya Ram, Jeya Jeya Ram' in the air.

Truly a happiness to see the most decorated temple with a very organized way of handling huge crowds and excellent support of the Trust, Police and Devotees.   What a decoration of flowers, lamps and the ever awesome food prasadams given to all devotees till the closing of the temple hours.  It is just a scene to be seen, a feeling of closeness with the Lord to be felt and vibrations of the place to be experienced.  There can be no better way to begin the New Year. and I am truly blessed I got this opportunity to be there today.   And I am also glad that writing about this temple as the first post of this year is a blessing. 

 About the Temple


Sri Maruthi Bhakta Samaj with high spiritual inclinations dreamt of bringing in this temple to its existence and probably they would not have dreamt the kind of reach, glory and priligrimage status the temple enjoys today.   With the blessings of Paramacharya and Sri Raghavendra, the 32 foot idol was entrenched in 1989...followed by a divine kumbabishekam in 1995. 

Slowly but steadily the fame and power of Lord Anjaneya in Nanganallur spread far and wide.   Devotees believed that God bestows good health and prosperity on all his devotees.   The idol of 32 feet is special and a feast to our eyes, power to our mind, and provides a divine vibrations rejuvenating our physical energies as well. 

The adjacent abode of Lord Rama with Lakshmana, Sita Mata and Sri Anjaneya is also a treat to our eyes.  Lord Krishna with consorts Satyabama and Rukmini is also indoctrined in this temple to Lord's left.   Lord Ganesh,  Lord Nagarajar, Sri Raghavendra are also in the temple.   Another not much known fact is that Lord Ayyappa Temple is just behind Anjaneyar temple...and this is  the only place in the world., where 2 powerful bachelor gods bless the devotees facing back to back each other.   It is widely believed that visiting both these temples on 9 Saturdays will heal any kind of trauma from life. 

The temple is also known for tying Rakhsa (Red thread ) blessed at the feet of the Lord and people wear this thread for 6 weeks and follow religious way and it is strongly  believed that what ever is wished will happen during this period and devotees are blessed with prosperity, health and happiness.

The temple never had a Hundi (Money Collection Box) till the temple was taken over by the Endowments Department of the State Government in July 2013.   Prasads are a big crowd puller of this temple even after the taken over.   Ney Deepam (Ghee Lamp) in front of the lord is always filled with offerings from the devotees.  The Huge Vada Malas following various types of Sevas is a delight to be seen. 
 मनोजवं मारुततुल्यवेगं
जितेन्द्रियं बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठ
वातात्मजं वानरयूथमुख्यं
श्रीरामदूतं शरणं प्रपद्ये
Mano-Javam Maaruta-Tulya-Vegam
Jite[a-I]ndriyam Buddhi-Mataam Varissttha |
Vaata-Atmajam Vaanara-Yuutha-Mukhyam
Shriiraama-Duutam Sharannam Prapadye |

Meaning:
(I take Refuge in Sri Hanuman)
1: Who is Swift as Mind and Fast as Wind,
2: Who is the Master of the Senses and Honoured for His Excellent Intelligence, Learning and Wisdom,
3: Who is Son of the Wind God and Chief among the Monkeys,
4: To that Messenger of Sri Rama, I take Refuge.

Location and Directions

The temple is located 5 kms from Chennai Airport, 2 kms from Palavanthangal /Nanganallur Railway Station and around 2.5 kms from GST road.   The temple has become a very popular tourist place and also a piligrimage destination. 











Temple Contact Address :
No : 1, 8th street Ram Nagar,
Nanganallur,
Chennai - 600 061.

Temple Contact Numbers : 22671410, 22671420

Temple Timing : 
Morning - 5.00am to 12.00pm
Evening - 4.30pm to 9.00pm


“ Hanuman Kalpa Vriksho me, Hanuman mama kaama dhuk
Chintaamansthi Hanuman ko Vichara, kuto bhayam ?’
( When Lord Hanuman is there for me (us) like a wish yielding ‘kalpa vriksha, and like the boon giving Chintamani, to fulfill my ( our ) desires where is the cause for worry and fear ? )