Rare Temples of Lord Hanuman (Ranamandala - Adoni) Buddhir balam yaso dhairyam Nirbhayatvam arogata Ajaadyam vaak patuthvam cha Hanumath smaranaath bhaveth Above sloka from Aanjaneya Sthuthi is just an example of benefits of praying Lord Hanuman. One will be blessed with wisdom, strength, fame, valor, fearlessness, good health, dearth of lethargy and speech vigor by worshipping Lord Hanuman. There is nothing that Lord Hanuman cannot bestow upon his true devotee. He is also capable of revitalizing the spiritual qualities in an individual and putting him on the right track towards the ultimate goal of salvation. Lord Hanuman the living God is easily accessible by chanting of Sri Rama Nama. We find temples of Lord Hanuman across the length and breadth of our country and even abroad also. In some places we find exclusive temples while in others we find Lord Hanuman along with other main Deities mostly Lord Sri Rama. Out of thousands of temples for Lord Hanuman some of them are associated with mythology, self manifested while some others are consecrated by Divine Seers like Sri Vyaasa Theertharu popularly known as Sri Vyasa Rayaru who went on to consecrate 732 Hanuman idols across South India. Through this post an attempt is being made to bring out information on rare temples of Lord Hanuman that I have come across which are historical and associated with mythology. One such rare temple for Lord Hanuman that I have come across recently is Ranamandala Sri Aanjaneya Swamy temple at Adoni. The place is said to be in existence since the Epic days of Ramayana and Lord Sri Rama is said to have visited this place during his Vanavasa. Rana means war and Mandala means zone. Ranamandala means war zone. It was the place where Lord Hanuman fought with satanic forces and killed them who were causing disturbance to the privacy of Lord Sri Rama. Hence, this place aptly came to be known as Ranamandala. The idol of Lord Hanuman known as Aanjaneya Swamy is carved out of a rock on the top of Ranamandala hills. It is believed and said that it is a self manifested one but historical facts could not be traced about its manifestation. There is also a belief that it was consecrated by Sri Vyasa Rayaru during his visit to this place. However, this does not figure in the list of Hanuman idols consecrated by Sri Vyasa Rayaru. Rarity of this temple is that the idol doesn’t have roof (shelter) and it is in the open air. It is said and believed due to a reason that the temple has to be built within in a day with some conditions laid down. It is a monolithic rock and the idol of Lord Hanuman is smeared fully with Kesari colour. One has to climb about 500 steps to reach the top of the hill that gives a panoramic view surrounded by hills. It may take approx 20-30 minutes to climb. While returning one can climb down easily within 10 minutes. On the way to the up hills one can find a large size statue of Lord Ganesha said to have been carved out of a rock. There is also a temple of Lord Hanuman known as Santhana Aaanjaneya Swamy (bestower of progeny) on the way. On the top of the hills besides Hanuman temple there are small temples of other deities. There is a temple of Goddess Amba Bhavani (Goddess Durga) located in between two big rocks at a small distance to the left of Lord Hanuman. There is one monolithic rock on the top of the hill that resembles Lord Ganesha with Ekadantha. At the foot of the hill there is a beautiful lake known as Ramjal said and believed to have been in existence since epic days. Below the hill there is a temple known as Manga Rayaru Gudi (temple), a shrine of Lord Hanuman, where one can find one of the earliest idols of Hanuman consecrated by Sri Vyasa Rayaru. The temple is under the auspices of Mantralaya Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt. It is needless to say that Mantralaya Rayaru Sri Raghavendra Swamy during his visit to Adoni also must have visited this temple. Sri Vijaya Dasaru of Chippagiri fame is said to have stayed at this place for a long time and the Banyan tree (Aswattha Vruksha) that is present within the vicinity of the temple is said to have been planted by him. Adoni where the famous Ranamandala hill is located carries behind lot of mythological and historical legacy. It was known as second Mumbai for its commercial activity. It is well connected by rail located on the Mumbai – Chennai main line of South Central Railway. Guntakal one of biggest railway junctions is one hour distance from Adoni. It is in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh on the border of Karnataka State nearer to Raichur and Bellary well connected by Road. Famous pilgrim center Mantralayam is 20 miles distance from Adoni. Presence of Lord Hanuman sanctified by the foot fall of so many divine and noble souls, surrounded by natural panorama of hills and rocks the place Ranamandala at Adoni has become a popular pilgrim and tourist centre attracting lot of pilgrims. Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 10:12:48 +0000
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