Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams declares 'Anjanadri' as birthplace of Lord Hanuman basis of 'evidence'
22 Apr 2021 12:06:55
Tirumala, April 22: In the major development, on the auspicious day of Ram Navami, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) declared Anjanadri Hillock as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman ji with concrete evidence. They made this announcement based on evidence from puranic anthologies, literature, epigraphy, etc. The research was done by the committee formed by TTD to investigate the birthplace of Hanuman.
National Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor V Muralidhara Sharma, who is a member of the expert committee constituted by the TTD to establish Anjanadri Hill in the Seven Hills (Tirumala Hills) as the birthplace of Hanuman, at a program organised at Tirumala on Wednesday. He said, "Anjanadri is the birthplace of Anjaneya Swamy as it is mentioned in 12 Puranas."
“It has been established based on puranic anthologies, literary and epigraphic evidence, and geographic details. Venkatachalam is also known as Anjanadri and 19 other names. Hanuman was born on Anjanadri in Treta Yuga,” he said.
According to Sharma, the committee collected evidence from 12 Puranas on the birthplace of Hanuman. Valmiki Ramayana, in its Sundarakanda where Sage Matanga has mentioned that since Hanuman was born to Anjana on these sacred mountains after penance and attained the name Anjaneya, while the hillock got the name Anjanadri.
Apart from it, Anjanadri Mahatyam a book which is available at London Library also has mentioned that Anjanadri is Hanuman’s birthplace.
Vyasa Mahabharata, Vana Parva, 147 Chapter, Shiva Puranam, Shata Rudra Samhita-Chapter 20, Brahmanda Puranam-Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam-Thirtha Khandam-Chapter 1, Skanda Purana, Vaishnava Khand-1.38, Epigraphica Indica, Vol VI, page 323 also clearly explains Anjanadri as the birthplace of Hanuman.
Evidence also referred to Kamba Ramayanam-Kishkindakandam, Hamsa Dootam, etc. that also explained the same. Epigraphic evidence was derived from the 12th and 13th-century inscriptions found in the Tirumala temple. Rock inscriptions at Srivari Temple of 1491 and 1545 mention Anjanadri as Anjaneya’s birthplace.
However, some historians considered other places such as Karnataka, Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Haryana as the birthplaces of Lord Hanuman.
1. Anjan village, 21 k ms from Gumla district HQ of Jharkhand.
2. Anjan mountain in the Navsari region of Gujarat.
3. Kaithal region in Haryana
4. Anjaneri, 7 km from Triambakeswar in Nasik district of Maharashtra
However, those assertions don’t have a proper basis.