look news india
The land of holy pilgrimage Prayagraj, known as the center of Sanatan culture and mythological faith, is such a wonderful confluence of mysteries, miracles and spirituality, where every corner has some ancient story associated with it. Situated on the sacred banks of the Sangam, this city has a center of faith which is considered unique throughout the world due to its unique structure and mythological importance. We are talking about that famous and grand temple located in the historical Daraganj locality of Prayagraj, where Bajrangbali is not seated in his usual standing posture, but lying on the ground. This temple, famous all over the world by the name of ‘Reclining Hanuman Ji’, is not just a religious place, but it is a living testimony of those great stories of Treta Yuga, listening to which even today the eyes of the devotees become moist with reverence. This mythological story of Bajrangbali resting on the banks of Sangam to relieve his fatigue after burning Lanka and conquering Lanka makes this place extremely rare and mysterious.
This 600 to 700 years old historical and divine reclining Hanuman temple is situated in Daraganj of Tirtharaj Prayagraj.
In Hindu religious scriptures and Vedas, Prayagraj has the honor of being ‘Tirtharaj’ i.e. the king of all pilgrimages. The temple of Lord Hanuman lying down, located near the sacred meeting place of Ganga and Yamuna in this holy city, is considered to be the biggest and important identity of this pilgrimage. There are many beliefs prevalent regarding the history and establishment of this ancient temple, according to which this divine idol was established by Saint Samarth Guru Ramdas Ji. As soon as you enter the temple premises, you start feeling a different kind of positive energy and spiritual peace. In this grand temple complex, there is not only the idol of Bajrangbali, but along with him, beautiful and grand idols of Lord Shiva, Mother Parvati, first revered Ganesh Ji, Kaal Bhairav, Maa Durga, Maa Kali and Navagrahas are also installed. Every devotee coming here gets the privilege of seeing and worshiping all these gods and goddesses at one place, which further increases the importance of this pilgrimage site.
The south facing statue of Hanuman ji is about 20 feet long, the sinner Ahiravan is buried under his right foot.
The statue of Hanuman ji present in this famous temple of Prayagraj is very special and amazing in itself. According to beliefs, this lying idol of Hanuman ji faces south and its total length is about 20 feet. This idol is situated in the sanctum sanctorum about 6 to 7 feet below the ground level, to see which the devotees have to descend the stairs. Local people and devotees call him by many names like Bade Hanumanji, Fort Hanumanji, Laying Hanumanji and Dam Hanumanji. Describing the religious nature of this holy statue, scholars say that Kamada Devi is buried under her left foot and Ahiravan, the lord of the underworld and the enemy of Ram devotees, is buried under her right foot. Along with this, small forms of Maryada Purushottam Ram and Mata Sita are adorned in the right hand of his statue and his traditional mace is adorned in the left hand. All the devotees who come here have an unwavering belief that whoever applies to these feet with a true heart, all his wishes are definitely fulfilled.
Mythological story of Tretayuga: Why did Sankatmochan lie down on the banks of Sangam to relieve fatigue after conquering Lanka?
The most popular and ancient mythological story associated with this temple is related to the Ramayana period. According to the story, when Lord Shri Ram conquered Lanka and destroyed Ravana and his entire demon empire, Mahabali Hanuman ji started feeling extremely tired while returning from Lanka to Ayodhya. It was necessary to relieve the fatigue of his body after the immense bravery and energy he had displayed during the war. Then as per the request and wish of Mother Sita, Hanuman ji chose this holy land of Prayag to rest and he lay down to rest on this holy bank of Sangam. With the love and blessings of Mother Sita, all his tiredness went away and he got absorbed in the state of rest here. Taking this mythological incident as its basis, centuries later, this grand temple of Hanumanji lying down was established here, which today is considered to be at least 600 to 700 years old.
Once a year, Mother Ganga herself comes to bathe her devotee Hanumanji.
There is a mystery and miracle associated with this temple which blurs the line between science and faith. According to religious beliefs, when Hanuman ji lay down on the banks of Sangam in Prayagraj after completing the service of Ramji after conquering Lanka, till today this place is considered extremely sacred and awakened. Every year during the monsoon season, when there is heavy rain in North India and the rivers are in spate, the water level of Mother Ganga increases so much that the flood water directly enters the sanctum sanctorum of this temple and submerges the entire statue of Hanuman ji lying down in its lap. According to religious belief, this is not considered a normal disaster, rather it is considered a symbol of the fact that Mother Ganga herself comes here once a year to anoint her devotee Hanuman ji and bathe him. Devotees come from far and wide to see this supernatural scene.
Due to scientific point of view and natural reasons, flood water enters the temple every year.
While on one hand this incident is considered completely religious and miraculous, on the other hand if it is considered from a scientific point of view, there are geographical and natural reasons behind it. Prayagraj is situated at the meeting point of three rivers—Ganga, Yamuna and the legendary Saraswati. During monsoon, when there are continuous torrential rains, the water level of both the Ganga and Yamuna rivers starts rising rapidly. Since this temple of reclining Hanuman ji is situated very close to the Sangam and on low lying land, hence when the water level rises, the flood water naturally fills the inside of the sanctum sanctorum. Although the administration and the temple committee make elaborate security arrangements during this period, for the devotees this natural process is no less than a major divine ritual. They consider it to be the union of love of Mother Ganga and Hanuman ji, which further increases the divinity of this place.
This sacred consecration of Mother Ganga is a symbol of destruction of negative energy and establishment of happiness and peace.
From the religious and spiritual point of view, this annual bath of Hanuman ji by Mother Ganga is considered a great boon. People believe that when this anointment of Sankatmochan Hanuman ji is done with the holy water of Mother Ganga, it removes negative energy, diseases and obstacles not only from the local area but from the entire country and society. The spiritual peace and energy that the devotees who come here during this special period get, cannot be compared with any other pilgrimage. This is the reason that whenever the water of Ganga enters the temple, a different kind of excitement, enthusiasm and deep faith is seen among the devotees. People consider this water very sacred and feel their lives blessed just by seeing Lord Hanuman.