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Hanuman Temple

Connaught Place in Delhi houses a beautiful and holy temple of Lord Hanuman. The importance of the temple lies in the fact that it belongs to the Mahabharata period in Delhi. There were five temples in the ancient times and Hanuman Temple is claimed to be the finest among them.

A self-manifest idol of Lord Hanuman is found here, which adds both uniqueness and divinity to the majestic shrine. Another characteristic feature of the temple is the existence of a crescent moon, which is an Islamic symbol on the spire of the temple. This is very different from regular temples where Aum or Sun is popularly used as a symbol. It was this depiction, which added to the significance of the Hanuman Temple during Mughal period. 

Structural Style of Hanuman Temple

It is true that Hanuman Temple is regarded as one of the most popular temples of Delhi, which is dedicated to the monkey god. The architectural style of this temple is a great source of aesthetic pleasure to tourists who visit this temple all year round. During visiting hours, the temple is full of people who line up to pay tribute to the monkey god. The architectural grandeur of this temple is known for its spirituality and splendor all around the world. It is the astounding beauty of the temple that attracts followers to the place all the year around. Baba Charka Singh Margi is the main entrance to the temple with large number of beautiful marble steps.

These steps escort tourists to a main foyer in this temple, which has huge silver plated doors. It reflects the art and architecture of people of ancient days. The doors here have scenes of epic Ramayana engraved on it, which adds a historical touch to the architecture of this temple. It is the four aspects of Hanuman that are reflected in a very innovative manner in different paintings that adorn the clerestory windows.

The entire place is fully ventilated with the help of such majestic and crafted windows. An idol of Lord Hanuman is placed on the northern wall facing the southern direction where images of Krishna and Radar are also installed. The temple is a massive structure with 108 ft height where the ceiling of the main hall depicts various stories from Ramayana that is creatively painted.

Significance of Temple

Delhi is a beautiful city built by Pandavas in the Mahabharata period. Pandavas lost their kingdom in a dice game therefore they were banished for a 12 year term. According to mythological evidences during the exile, Hanuman disguised himself as a weak and aged monkey to subdue his brother Bhima’s arrogance.

When Bhima was frantically searching for Draupadi in the forest he found the tail of Hanuman blocking his way. He was not aware of the identity of Hanuman and therefore rudely ordered him to remove his tail. But Hanuman in his disguise told him that he was not strong enough to remove the tail so Bhima has to do it on his own. In spite of several attempts from Bhima he was not able to remove the tail of Hanuman. Bhima then realized it was his brother Hanuman and thereby apologized for his arrogant behavior. After the defeat of Kauravas in the battle of Kurukshetra, Pandavas built five temples of Hanuman to honor their victory and seek blessings of the deities.

Tulsidas, who was a great poet and an avid follower of Lord Hanuman, also visited Hanuman Temple to offer his devotion to the monkey god. During his visit he was asked by a Mughal emperor to show some miracle. Tulsidas willingly fulfilled this wish of the Mughal emperor with the blessings of Lord Hanuman. The emperor got so pleased that he gifted a crescent moon finial, which even today adorns the spire of the captivating temple. While, the temple is primarily visited by Hindu devotees, people from other religions also like to pay a visit.

Tourist Hub at Hanuman Temple

Hanuman Temple is popular with tourists visiting Delhi from different parts of the world. Tourists love to frequent this temple as they get inner peace and tranquility within the precincts of this temple. It is not only the interiors of this temple that attract tourists, but even the exterior has captivating beauty and religious significance. A massive statue of Lord Hanuman here is visible from far away and a truly spectacular sight.

Celebrations at the Temple

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated every year with great pomp and show. Every year on full moon day of the month of Chair that falls between the months of March and April large number of tourist devotees flocked the temple to seek blessings from Lord Hanuman. The day is celebrated with music and decoration of colorful festoons all around the city.

Processions carrying large idols of Lord Hanuman are held. Local devotees and tourists sing and dance on street wearing hanuman mask and tail to drool in the festivity. Large number of tourists starts visiting the place in the morning but the number increases in the evening. Many tourists also apply henna on their palms to taste the flavor of Hanuman Jayanti. Devotees offer prayers and garlands of flowers to Lord Hanuman. The beauty of the temple is worth watching during night when it is decorated with flowers and lights. The local people of the region leave no stone unturned when it comes to celebrating the birthday of Lord Hanuman. It is a common believe of the devotees that applying tilak and participating in the procession brings good luck to them.

Timings

While the temple is open for devotees all year round, a large number of devotees congregate at the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays every week to participate in special worship and prayers.

From Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Friday, the temple is open from 5 am to 11 pm. Aarti takes places at 5:30 am and the temple is closed between 1-3 pm during the day. On Tuesday and Saturday, the temple opens at 4 am and remains open till late in the night. Aarti on these 2 days is held at 5 am.  

How to Reach

Tourists usually enter Hanuman Temple from southwest of Connaught Place, which is regarded as the commercial hub of Delhi. One can take a car from Indira Gandhi National Airport to reach Hanuman Temple. The distance between the temple and airport is around 13 km, which takes around 30 minutes by car. It is a very easy and convenient drive as the roads are well maintained.

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