Divine Vibes at Anjanadri Parvat

Bharat is home to a rich cultural heritage, devotion, pulsating divinity, and much more.

- PRIYA S. TANDON

My husband and I recently visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site, of the Hampi ruins in Karnataka. Hampi is mentioned in the Ramayana, as Kishkindha, the kingdom of Bali and Sugreeva. In the 15th-16th century, this was called the Vijayanagar empire. King Krishna Devaraya's empire spanned from the Krishna River in the North to the Indian Ocean in the South.

My husband dearly wanted to visit the birthplace of Lord Hanumanji at the Anjanadri Parvat in Hanuman Halli, Karnataka. Amazingly, the opportunity came, just before Guru Purnima. We reached Hampi at 11 AM and went straight to the Anjanadri Parvat base. It was a divine brainwave that had prodded us to get a pair of kneecaps each. At the risk of being branded over-cautious, both of us wore kneecaps as we embarked on our divine adventure.

Our guide said that there were 575 steps uphill; but the steps at the rear were 100 less. He said that the views from the rear would be less picturesque compared to the front, but the stairs would be less steep. Considering that both of us have completed 60 revolutions around the Sun, I was hugely skeptical if we could do it. At the advice of a friend, I tied a cotton cloth around the hips, called Kamarbandh in Ayurveda.

Slowly and steadily, we were able to make it to the temple at the top of the hill! Divinity was pulsating and palpable all around, and we were completely immersed in it!

When we reached the Garbha-Griha, the curtain was drawn. The Lord was partaking of the lunch Bhog. As the curtain opened, we had the most beautiful darshan of Hanumanji. Hanumanji here looks towards the South direction. The idol is more like a mural on the wall. Being in the side-pose, only one eye is visible. The bhog thali was handed to the panditji in waiting, and we quietly prayed to partake a few morsels of it. The will of the Lord is truly unfathomable.