A row over the ‘authentic’ birthplace of Lord Hanuman has been ebbing and flowing for months across several states and has got people of religious, political and curious kinds debating over a matter that seems unlikely to see a conclusion that’s satisfactory for all parties. What is the basis of this, and similar ones involving Kavi Jaydev, Sai Baba, and Gautam Buddha, controversy?
Pratul Vishera, a mythologist, believes that to understand the root of the matter one first needs to understand the human psyche. “Everyone needs to feel special and one simple way of feeling so is by being affiliated with someone special. So, if someone tells you that a God or hero was born in the same place that you reside in, it’s something you will want to be true — no matter what’s the fact,” he explains. “In the olden days, if a place was known to be the birthplace of some saint or deity, rulers would easily see to the development of the place. With our numerous texts and their various interpretations, every place has its own significance. It is just a matter of being aware.”
Regarding this specific matter, the answer can be found by two means — through thorough research of ancient texts and by examining astrological details of Lord Hanuman’s birth chart. “Since many scholars believe Valmiki Ramayana to be the original source, they are looking for a mountain named Anjenya with a cave near the top. Since such examples are dime-a-dozen, all mounts sporting the name Anjenya or a variation of it became possible sites of his birthplace,” Pratul says.
Swami Sudhir Das, the chief priest at Nashik’s celebrated Kalaram temple, believes, “There are so many Ramayanas, ancient puranas and texts, why do we contain ourselves to only Valmiki Ramayana? Many ancient texts agree that Gautam Rishi’s ashram was in Nashik, where he is known to have stopped the Godavari with his Kusha. Obviously, his daughter Anjani lived in his ashram at the Anjaneri Hill (the famous fort trekking spot of Nashik city’s Triambakeshwar region) as did her child Hanuman. Soon after he was born at sunrise, Hanuman saw the Sun and leapt to eat the ‘fruit’ and left behind his giant footprints on the Anjaneri Mountain. Two of the most prominent ones are present at the temple at the foothills and on the mountain top where a lake stands today, in the shape of a giant footprint.”
On the other hand, Pratul believes going by names of places mentioned in the text found in ancient Valmiki Ramayana, the present-day Anjeyanadri hills in Kishkinda near Hampi, Karnataka, sounds like the best fit. “The place is abound with tales of Lord Hanuman and his cousins Bali and Sugreev before the former met Ram in the text,” Pratul says.
He thinks our oral traditions contributed to the confusion of the place. Since nothing was put in writing for centuries, changes could have crept into the original text and now there’s no way of finding out. There is also the matter of several forms of the epic bringing in several interpretations.
If the matter is considered from the astrological point of view, there’s some debate around his birth month as well. “In the North, Hanuman’s birth is celebrated in Chaitra while it’s believed to be in Karthik in the South,” Pratul informs. “Although everyone agrees on the fact that he was born at sunrise, and by that measure, Kishkinda fits the bill for several scholars.” What he, however, is delighted by is the ‘Samudra Manthan’ of discussion and research that’s surrounding Hanuman at this juncture, for he feels it will always yield knowledge to the true seeker.
“In Hindu culture, there are these twin concepts of Samvad (dialogue) and Vivad (conflict). People who are evolved will never fight over matters of opinion but will hold discussions and accept all kinds of opinions while holding onto their own. These people are akin to scholars who are happy to coexist with people of differing opinions — that has always been the way of the wise,” Pratul enlightens.
So, will the issue never be put to bed, you wonder exasperated? “Hanuman was not interested in when and where he was born; all he was concerned with was one word — ‘Ram’. That’s what his world revolved around; that’s what true devotion is,” the expert signs off.
