SRI HANUMAN BADI (NEW), ALIGANJ, LUCKNOW, UTTAR PRADESH...
Main sri d r tripati, delhi and sri sivananth, lucknow
TWIN TEMPLES FOR HANUMAN IN ALIGANJ OF LUCKNOW
NEW HANUMAN MANDIR
Begam Rubia of Lakshmanpuri
Begam Rubia of Lakshmanpuri was not blessed with any child for a long
period after her marriage. The prayers were offered for the blessings in many
places of worship. She had been advised by many to offer prayers in Hanuman
mandir of Hanumanbadi (Aliganj), which is on the other side of the river
Gomathi. She was contemplating of doing the same. As she was hesitating, she
had a divine direction to visit the temple and offer her prayers. She
immediately proceeded to the Hanuman temple of Hanumanbadi and offered her
prayers and solicited to Him to bless her with a child. After some time she
was blessed with a child.
Ancient Hanuman moorti found
After giving birth to the child she proceeded to Hanumanbadi and offered
many new ornaments to the Hanuman of the temple. Poor feeding were arranged
and many cultural activities were arranged. While she was staying in
Hanumanbadi during this time she had a dream about a Hanuman statue which is
lying below the ground under a small hillock. The next morning she arranged
for search party to locate the hillock, giving the descriptions as seen her
dream. Once the hillock was located few miles away from Hanumanbadi, the
bottom of the hillock was searched, and to her amazement she could see the
same identification as she had seen in her dream. Now she ordered that
particular spot to be excavated, and the Lord Hanuman's idol was found in the
very same spot. She was thrilled of the blessings showered on her by Lord
Hanuman. She felt that a suitable temple has to be built for the Lord. After
counciling with her ministers it was decided that the temple would be built
in Hasi pudowla Himambade which is in Lakshmanpuri.
Ancient Hanuman moorti reestablished in new mandir
The idol of the Lord Hanuman was kept on a
singasan (throne) mounted on
the top of an elephant. A grand procession was arranged to take the idol to
Hasi pudowla Himambade from the spot where it was found. With pomp and show
the procession started and proceeded. While the procession was near Chandganj
the elephant became tired. The procession halted for some time and the
elephant was given rest by de-mounting the singasan with idol. After a while
it was restarted but the elephant could not move with the Lord Hanuman in the
singasan mounted on it. But it was observed that the elephant could move with
ease with singasan alone. The Begam was worried and asked for advice from the
Mahant of the Hanumanbadi temple. It was suggested by the Mahant, that there
could be two reasons for this one that Lord Hanuman may be wishing not to be
away from Chandganj or secondly He has no desire to go to Lakshmanpuri which
is on the other side of the river Gomathi.
Begam then decided not to take the Lord Hanuman's idol to Hasi pudowla
Himambade in Lakshmanpuri. Instead a grand temple was planned for the Lord
where the elephant had stopped in Chandganj. A Nawabi ordinance was passed
and a new Mahant was appointed for the temple at the exchequer cost.
Mohamadhabat reign had donated lands to the temple. Today this ancient temple
is known as New Hanuman Mandir of Aliganj and the activities are managed by a
Trust.
Begam Aliya and Lord Hanuman mandirs
Begam Aliya, Sister of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was taken ill for some time.
Many Hahims and Vaidhs were called and best medical attention was given by
Nawab. But Begam Aliya's illness could not be cured. Prayers in the places of
worship were offered for curing Begam's illness. As per the advice of elders
Nawab Wajid Ali Shah offered his prayers in the (New) Hanuman temple and
pleaded for his sister to be cured of the mysterious illness. Like a miracle,
Nawab's sister was cured of the mysterious illness with in few days of his
prayers in (New) Hanuman mandir.
Begam Aliya
As gratitude towards saving his sister by Lord Hanuman, he organised a
grand mela in the New Hanuman temple of Aliganj on the Hanumath jayanti day
of that year, which also happen to be Tuesday. As per the tradition the
Hanumath jayanti is celebrated on the full moon day of the Jesht month of
lunar calendar. He had offered grand feast to many (known as 'Bada Bhog') on
that day.
The tradition of organising the mela during this particular day i.e., first
Tuesday of the Jesht month of lunar calendar had continued for years now.
Even now the Bada Bhog is arranged and many people are fed. Though the
tradition was started from the new Hanuman mandir, the old Hanuman mandir
also adopted this and the devotees go to both the mandirs during this day,
which is popularly celebrated as "Bada Mangal".
Bada Mangal festival
There is a peculiar tradition followed by some of the devotees to come
and attend the prayers in these two Hanuman temples on the bada mangal day.
The devotee makes a namaskar lying on the ground with his folded hands above
his head. A brick is kept where his hands ends and from that spot the devotee
once again makes a namaskar lying on the ground with his folded hands above
his head. The process is repeated till the devotee reaches the Hanuman
temple. This process of devotee proceeding from his place of dwelling to
temple on the Bada Mangal day is known as 'sayana thapas'. This tradition was
followed by many devotees, and devotees use to come from many far off places
like Sitapur, Kanpur, Unaov, Hardooi, Bharabhaki etc. The tradition had more
or less come to stop now a day because of the heavy traffic condition in the
roads.
Now tradition has been formed that whenever a new temple for Lord Hanuman is
built around Lucknow, the first cloth, weapon, sindur for the new idol is
initially offered to the Lord Hanuman of either Old or New Hanuman temple in
Aliganj.
The temple is small and the Hanuman murthi is small, but it is seen to be believed that how Sri Hanumanji of Hanuman Badi the protector and rakshak, protects the devotees from any all evils hovering around them.
[ed. 26.02.03]