NEW DELHI, Feb 14: A new controversy is raging over the birthplace of Hanuman between two Hindu religious trusts based in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Both quoting scriptures to claim that Hanuman was born in their respective state.
The Supreme Court in November, 2019, settled the dispute between the Hindus and Muslims on the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) in Andhra Pradesh has planned a ceremony for Wednesday to develop facilities at Anjanadri, a temple and pilgrimage site in the Tirumala Hills, where formal consecration as Hanuman’s birthplace took place on Ram Navami in April last year.
The Sri Hanumad Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust in Karnataka, however, does not agree. Swami Govindananda Saraswati, the trust’s founder, claims Valmiki Ramayana specifies Hanuman was born at Anjanahalli in Kishkindha, which was believed to have been located on the banks of the Tungabhadra River near Hampi.
A debate was held in May last year to resolve this row but an agreement could not be reached. A TTD committee (headed by National Sanskrit University Vice Chancellor V Muralidhar Sharma, who died last month) said ancient scriptures like the Puranas and copper-plate inscriptions clearly refer to Anjanadri, now called Tirumala, as Hanuman’s birthplace.
In April TTD published a booklet underling the claim of Anjanadri; the booklet was based on a report submitted by an eight-member panel constituted in December 2020. The Teertha Kshetra Trust countered with a six-page letter to the TTD and the debate was held. The TTD bases its claim on mythological, literary, archaeological and geographical evidence accepted by several Vedic and Puranic scholars, and also claims the Teertha Kshetra Trust has no proof.
“Clinching evidence was provided by a visually-impaired swamiji from Chitrakoot who will be attending the Wednesday function,” TTD CEO Jawahar Reddy said. Among those attending Wednesday’s ceremony are Sarada Peethadhipathi Swaroopanendra Saraswati, Ramabhadracharya Maharaj from Tulasi Peeth in Chitrakoot, Swami Govind Dev Giri of Rama Janma Bhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust and revered swamijis from other parts of the country, in addition to Mr Reddy, TTD Chairman YS Subba Reddy and others.
(Manas Dasgupta)