TTD declares 'Anjanadri' in Tirumala is birthplace of Lord Hanuman

Tirumala: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) has made an official announcement stating that Anjanadri Hillock is the birthplace of Lord Hanumanji with concrete evidence.

The announcement was made by the TTD on the auspicious day of Sri Rama Navami at Tirumala on Wednesday.

Bhanwarilal Purohit, the Governor of Tamilnadu, also graced the event which was held at Nada Neerajana Mandapam. He said, he is a great devotee of Lord Hanuman and he is very happy to know that TTD has made elaborate research with the expert committee before declaring Anjanadri as Lord Hanuman's birthplace.

"As a Chancellor of 20 Universities in Tamil Nadu, I know how difficult and tedious it is to do research and present the evidence. I congratulate the entire Pandit team which worked day and night for four months on Hanuman's birthplace. Ayodhya is Sri Rama's birthplace while Anjanadri is Anjaneya's, he asserted.” 

PRESENTATION OF EVIDENCE

Earlier, Prof Muralidhara Sharma, the vice-chancellor of National Sanskrit University and one of the Committee members, presented the mythological, epigraphical, scientific, literary and geological evidence before media and univocally said Anjanadri is the birthplace of Anjaneya Swamy as it is mentioned in 12 Puranas. 

He also put forward some excerpts from the evidence before the media -

-In the Valmiki Ramayana, from Sundarakanda episode in the Shlolas from 81-83 of 35th Sarga, it was clearly mentioned that since Hanuman was born to Anjanadevi on these sacred mountains after a penance. He attained the name Anjaneya while the Hillock got the name "Anjanadri".

-Rock inscriptions at Srivari temple of 1491 and 1545, both mention the Anjanadri as birthplace of Anjaneya.

-Vyasa Mahabharata, Vanaparva, 147 Chapter, Valmiki Ramayana-Kishkinda Kanda - 66th Sarga (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.

-Anjanadri Mahatyam...a book available at London Library clearly explains Anjanadri as the birthplace of Hanuman.

-He also referred to Kamba Ramayanam-Kishkindakandam, Hamsa Dootam etc. which also explained the same.

SOME MORE CLAIMS ON ANJANEYA BIRTHPLACE

However, among historians there are several doubts over the birthplace of Anjaneya. The five other places where Lord Hanuman was born includes-

1. There is a hillock near Anjanadri at Hampi in Karnataka. But the scholars of Kannada University at Hampi affirmed that there is no material evidence to prove that.

2. Anjan village, 21 k ms from Gumla district hq of Jharkhand.

3. Anjan mountain in Navsari region of Gujarat.

4. Kaithal region in Haryana 

5. Anjaneri, 7 km from Triambakeswar in Nasik district of Maharashtra

Historians contend that the Hampi region was popularly known as Kishkinda in legends and Puranas. Hence it is possible that Anjaneya could have gone to Hampi from Tirumala which was just 363 kms away. They also say that  scientifically Hampi was 1240 kms from Gumla in Jharkhand, 1626km from Kaithal of Haryana, 616 kms from Maharashtra and hence ruled them all out and suggested that Migration to Hampi is feasible. 

WE HAVE CONCRETE EVIDENCE TO PROVE ANJANADRI IS BIRTHPLACE OF ANJANEYA

While speaking with Zee Media TTD EO said "Our Pandit team has worked hard to bring out concrete evidence and presented a 22-page report. We will soon display this report on our website also. Other states like Haryana, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra etc. Are claiming only with their local beliefs but they do not have any evidence to prove that that is the birthplace of Lord Hanuman i thank the entire Pandit team soon TTD will realise detailed book on our evidence" he added.

Vijay Kumar deputy director (Rtd) who is one of the committee member said "this place Tirumala is a very ancient place and historical evidence also we submitted to ttd Anjandri is the place where lord hanuman's birth took place in this Seshachala hills"