A hill and a deity: The search for Hanuman’s birthplace

A recent claim by the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) that Lord Hanuman was born in Anjanadri Hill in Tirumala has sparked off several debates on the “actual” birthplace of one of the most prominent Hindu deities.

As soon as the TTD went public with its claim, the Karnataka government said it will push for a survey by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to settle this.

For, Karnataka’s Hampi is believed to be ‘Kishkindha,’ Hanuman’s birthplace as narrated in Indian mythology.

A hill near Anegundi in the hinterlands of Koppal district (20 km away from Hampi) is the contender in question. Also named as Anjanadri, this hill atop which there is a temple dedicated to the deity is believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman.

The hill overlooks the Tungabhadra river. On the other side of the river stands Hampi in Vijayanagara district.

People’s belief stems from mythological references to Anjanadri, the birthplace of Hanuman and the reference of ‘Kishkindha’ in Ramayana. Since, there are many places in and around Hampi with references in the epic, it is believed that Kishkindha and Hampi are the same.

In 2020, the Hampi-based Hanumad Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust was constituted, headed by Govindananda Saraswathi Swami. The Trust announced that it would install a 215-ft Hanuman statue here.

The Trust members are aggrieved by the TTD’s recent announcement and they now plan to counter the claims.

“We will soon visit Tirupati and debate these claims with the TTD management,” Govindananda Saraswathi told DH.

According to the seer, the TTD management is being misguided by a group of local scholars.

“This is not TTD’s fault. They have been misguided by some scholars. The Puranas clearly mention Kishkindha as the birthplace of Hanuman,” he said, contesting the contrary claims.

The seer lamented that the state government had neglected the place.

“The tourism department has built a restaurant there for tourists. Nothing has been done to promote spirituality,” he said.

Meanwhile, locals say that until two decades ago, only “adventure-seekers” ventured to trek the hill. Since people found it difficult to trek up, they built a temple dedicated to ‘Galamma,’ Hanuman’s mother, at the foothills.

Recalling a trek that he made three decades ago, Kannada author Mrutyunjaya Rumale says the hill rarely saw any visitors.

“However, certain local groups and political outfits began promoting the religious significance of the place and it eventually gained popularity. Today, the annual Hanuma Jayanthi is a big celebration at the place,” says Rumale, who is associate professor at the Vijayanagara College, Hosapete.

The author finds that there is no strong documentation to either support or dispute the birthplace claim.

“There are mythological records merely identifying Anjanadri hill. One can also find many references in Ramayana to places surrounding Hampi. That apart, in 16th and 17th century historical records, there is a mention of this hill,” he explains, adding that emotional reasoning and historic records were mixed up over time, making it difficult to decipher.

Recently, the Tourism department announced that it would spend Rs 50 crore on development of the hill, including a ropeway and water sports facilities.

It is believed that the issue of Hanuman’s birthplace is a political agenda of the BJP to gain a stronghold in north Karnataka.

However, M J Vinod, professor of international studies, politics and history at Christ University, sees this as a larger trend of revivalism.

“What we see in India and in several places outside is a trend of revivalism of cultural ethos. These incidents lend themselves to the larger trend,” he opines.