Sri Dhyana Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Karmanghat, Saroornagar, Hyderabad, Telangana
Hanuman temple of Sri Sitarambagh temple, Malle Pally, Nampally, near Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad
Anantagiri Kala Hanuman Temple, Rambagh Colony, Attapur, Hyderabad, Telangana
Sri Mukhyaprana, SRS Math, Shalibanda, Hyderabad, Telangana
Secunderabad and Hyderabad are more popularly known as twin cities in modern time and geographically separated by the man-made Lake Hussain Sagar. The lake was built during the reign of the Sultan Ibrahim Qutub Shah in 1562 by his son-in-law, Hazrat Hussian Shah Wali, an eminent engineer.
The city of Hyderabad is older to the city Secunderabad, historically and culturally both of them differ in many ways. The village Ulwul in the north-east of Hussain Sagar under the control of Nizams of Hyderabad had latter came be known as Secunderabad.
After the defeat of Nizam Asaf Jah II by the East India Company, the village Ulwul was handed over to British under a treaty of 1798 AD. British developed the area as cantonment. Later, in 1803, Nizam Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of Hyderabad, renamed Ulwul as Secunderabad after himself. The city was formed in 1806, after the order was signed by the Nizam allotting the land north of Hussain Sagar to setup the British Cantonment. Then on the new city under the name Secunderabad saw all developments. Trading and business was flourishing. The general hospital named after King Edward Memorial Hospital was established in the year 1851. New buildings in British style started coming up. Post independence, Secunderabad Cantonment Board came under the jurisdiction of the Indian Armed Forces.
To help development of the region new railway station was proposed so that the Nizam of Hyderabad State could be connected to the other railway networks of the India. A company by name Nizam’s Railways was formed and work started in the year 1870. The railway line between Secunderabad-Wadi was started in the same year. The Nizam State took over the Nizam's Railway and the state owned Nizam's Guaranteed State Railway was formed in 1879. Then the idea of getting connected with rest of India knew no bounds so also development of region. Thus the Secunderabad Railway Station established in 1874 is today of one of the largest in India.
Many portion of Ulwul which is north of the Hussian Sagar Lake is rock bedded. The area was inhabited by people from various regions of India by the people who left their home to follow the fortunes of warring armies or as a part of the group. As the group of people settle in a location the location itself came to be known by their work or the language they spoke etc,. For example kummari guda, parsidutta, sindhiguda acquired the name because of the work the people of the locality do or the language they spoke.
One such group is Ramanandi sects [also known as RAMAVAT sect and SHRI sect] who are followers of Swami Ramanand, a Vaishnava sant and a pioneer of the Bhakti movement. While they were searching for a proper place to settle they located a mammoth rock which was under the shade of a huge banyan tree. They also noticed that the rock was being provided shade by the neem tree which is adjoining to the banyan tree. Normally the banyan tree is considered sacred especially when along with neem tree. They thought it is a good sign sent by the God. When they examined the rock they found a self emerged figure [known as “swayambu”] of Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya present. They being worshipers of Sri Hari and followers of Sri Rama they thought that they had been willed to settle in the area by the Almighty Himself. They decided to settle down in the proximity of the Sri Anjaneya Swamy rock. The place they settled is near the present Secunderabad railway station area.
After settling down in the area around the rock, they had started worshiping the Sri Panchamukha Anjaneya and small shed was put for people to assemble there. After few years of their settling there the temple became the nodal point for congregation of devotees of the Sri Hari and Sri Anjaneya in particular. But the joy did not continue and the very existence of the temple became difficult. There were threats when the building up of a new Railway Station for Secunderabad was being discussed and planned.
On an initial survey conducted the area east of kummari guda was found to be more suitable for the new railway station. The work for construction of a railway station for Secunderabad was take-up as planned by men of the Nizam. Cleaning up of the area around the proposed Railway Station started. As planned leveling of the land where the station and rail lines were to come were take-up. All the rocks coming on the way were extracted and the land was being made as plain as possible and the rocks thus quarried were utilized for laying the rails.
Nizam’s men were to quarry the rock in which Lord Anjaneya was residing. Many requests from the people around were not heeded. The ‘dwaja stamba’ was pulled down. Long holes were made in the rock for placing the granite powders to shatter the rock. The work was to continue next day. All the people who were worshipping the Lord feared the worst is going to happen next day. But what was is store is known to Lord only.
The next day men came for work. But they were quite frightened of coming anywhere near the rock they had marked for blasting the preceding day. Instead they offered some fruits and walked away. Locals were wondering as to what had happen to these men overnight. On enquiry they were told that the previous evening after the finishing the work the men were returning to their camp. From nowhere few monkeys came and intervened in their work and not allowing them to cook their food even. When these men started chasing the monkeys, more monkeys joined. These men used all their wit to win the monkeys but in vain. It was midnight by then, an elder of the camp told them that these monkeys had came because next day they were to blast the rock in which the monkey God is embossed. He opined that these monkeys were sent as a warning and they will not do any harm to the rock in which God resides. When all the men agreed that they will do no harm to the rock, the monkeys as if understood their decision left the camp.
The men went without creating any harm to the rock. The Railway station had come up after that and many other developments came along with that to the Secunderabad but the sacred rock remained as it is. Even today one can visit this place in Ghasmandi Rd, Monda Market, very near to Secunderabad railway station.
As you come out of Secunderabad railway station on the station road turn to left and after small distance there is road on the left which is known as Ghasmandi road and leads you to Monda market which is a whole sale market. Just after entering the road few yards away on to the left you will be welcomed by a rectangular saffron color arch of nearly twenty feet height. Huge temple guards with disc, mace and other weapons are seen standing on either side and guarding the temple. The banyan tree and neem tree are seen much above the arch. The arch is crowned by a small mandap in which we can see the Sri Ram Dharbar along with Sri Hanuman squatting near the lotus feet of Sri Rama and Sri Sita.
As you enter through the arch you can see the main sannadhi of Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman. The entire temple is a single rock, and in front of Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman a small mukh mandap had been built. There is a small place around the rock which constitutes the parikrama path for Sri Panchamukhi Anjaneya. The complex is east facing so also the main deity. There is a small separate sannadhi built at a later stage for Sri Rama, Sri Sita and Sri Lakshmana just adjacent to the Sri Hanuman sannadhi. On the south side of the rock one can see the holes made for blasting the rock. The broken ‘dwaja stampa’ is rested there nearby. There is Siva parivar sculptured in the rock itself, which is also a later addition.
Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman of this temple is in standing posture and is around eight feet height. The east facing deity’s all the five faces are visible to the devotee. [Lord Hanuman, Lord Narasimha, Lord GarudA, Lord VarAha, Lord HayagrEva] Of his ten hands [dasa bhujas] two are seen in "anjali mudra" and rest are seen having weapon. All the eyes are glowing with kindness ‘karuna’. The moment you see the main deity of this temple you are sure to have fallen in love with the deity of this temple.
Come, fell in love with this karuna murthi Sri Panchamukhi Hanuman who blesses one and all generously. Take the bounty home.
Ed: Sep. 2023
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SRI HANUMAN THINKS DIFFERENTLY, THINKS FAST, THINKS AHEAD AND ACTS FOR SURE.
Our salutations to this Hanuman who always brings subham - everything that is good - for His devotees and eliminates the bad and the evil. He removes even the traces of bad thoughts and deeds from His devotees. i.e He makes them pure in words, thought and deed.