Lord Hanuman is a reincarnation of Lord Shiva and is the greatest devotee of Lord Rama, seventh avatar of the God Vishnu. Also known as Anjaneya, Vayuputra, Mahavira, and Bajrangabali. A Vedic scholar with no equal who possesses immeasurable strength and completes feats of supreme valour in the fight for Dharma (righteousness), Hanuman also is humble, loyal and selfless. Lord Hanuman is known to have mastered the nine types of devotion and is “Para Brahma.” Hanuman is adored whole-heartedly and worshipped ardently by devotees all over the world. Thus, having many devotees everywhere, there are many temples of Lord Hanuman. Among many, in no particular order, here is 10 Temples of Lord Hanuman that one must visit.
1. Balaji Hanuman Temple
Mehandipur Balaji temple is located in Dausa district of Rajasthan. Three main deities are worshipped here – Lord Hanuman, Pret Raj (The King of spirits), Bhairav. As the legend goes, the images of Lord Balaji and that of Pret Raja (the king of spirits) appeared from ‘Mehandipur Dham’ around one thousand years ago in a valley, amidst the hills of the Aravali Range. So thousands of devotees go to this temple in order to exorcise evil spirits.
2. Sri Anjaneyar Temple
Sri Anjaneyar Temple is located in Port Dickson which is about 30-45 minutes away from the main area of Colombo. Panchamukha Hanuman is a five faced idol of Lord Hanuman in the temple. Most interesting fact about this temple is that it is said when the idol was installed, it was facing straight but later it changed position and turned left, facing the sea.
3. Hanuman Dhoka Temple
Huge, orange vermillion coated Hanuman statue lies at the entrance of Kathmandu’s royal palace, called Hanuman Dhoka. The idol is cloaked in red and sheltered by an umbrella. The statue is believed to have been built in 1672. But the Hanuman’s face had somewhat disappeared over years of vermillion applied by the devotees.
4. Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Sankat Mochan is the temple of Hanuman in the city of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is situated by the Assi river stream, on the way of the Durga Temple and the New Vishwanath temple. This temple dates back to early 1900s. Temple is visited by thousands of Hindu devotees.
5. JakhooTemple
Jakhoo, also known as Jakhu temple is situated at about 8500 feet in the east of historical ridge ground in Shimla. The temple is said to be existing from the times of Ramayana as per the mythological tale related to it during the fierce battle between Lord Ram and Ravana. Devotees have to walk for about 2 km through thick forests of Jakhu hills. Like many other Hanuman temples in India, an endless number of monkeys can be seen at this temple also.
6. Hanuman Temple, Delhi
Hanuman Temple in Delhi is located in Connaught place. It is claimed to be one of the five temples of Mahabharata days in Delhi. The idol is called Bala Hanuman which means Hanuman as a child. The idol in this temple is self-manifested and has an unusual feature fixed in the spire (Viman) in the form of a crescent moon (an Islamic symbol) instead of the Hindu symbol of Sun that is commonly seen in most Hindu temples. An important feature of the worship at this temple is the 24–hour chanting of the mantra (hymn) “Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram”, since August 1, 1964. Due to this continuous chanting, the temple has also recorded its name in the Guinness Book of World Records.
7. Shri Kashtbhanjan Hanuman Temple, Salangpur
Salangpur Hanuman temple is considered to be the most sacred temple with its image of Hanuman installed by Sadguru Gopalanand Swami. The image of this temple is said to be so powerful that a mere look at it by people affected by evil spirits, drives the evil spirits out of the people affected. This temple is famous for various healing rituals performed there.
8. Hanumangarhi
Hanumangarhi is the temple located in one of the holiest cities in the state of Uttar Pradesh called Ayodhya. Apart from being a sacred place, the temple is also widely recognized as a tourist attraction. According to popular legend, the place where the Hanuman-Garhi now stands was inhabited by Hanuman. It is believed he used to live there to protect Janmabhoomi or Ramkot.
9. Shri Hanuman Temple, Jamnagar
The most famous temple of Lord Hanuman in Gujarat is the Sri Bala Hanuman Temple which is visited by the most devoted devotees of Hanuman. Most interesting fact about this temple is that the chanting of the simple words, “Shri Ram, Jay Ram, Jay, Jay Ram” started on the morning of the 1st of August, 1964 has been going on uninterrupted now for more than 52 years. The devotees take turns in a relay system and this devotional audio offering to their beloved God continues in a perpetual and melodious flow of prayer. The temple has been featured in the Guinness Book of World Records twice and is now an important place to visit, when in Jamnagar.
10. Trinidad Hanuman Temple
85-foot-high Hanuman statue located in the village of Carapichaima, Trinidad is the largest Hanuman statute outside India. The structure is said to have been built according to the Dravidian style of architecture of South India. Twenty silpis (masons) were brought from India to build the Hanuman Murthi, which took two years to complete. The statue is magnificent and attracts foreigners along with Hindus.