Bhadra Maruti Temple

Getting there

• By road

  The temple is about 4 km from the Ellora Caves. On the way back from Ellora to Aurangabad city, a short detour takes you to Khuldabad.

Why devotees come here

Bhadra Maruti Temple stands in Khuldabad, Maharashtra. Its Hanuman idol is shown in a reclining, sleeping posture, one of only three places where Hanuman is shown this way. Lakhs of devotees come on Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami.

Hanuman is worshipped here in a reclining, sleeping posture, and the temple is one of only three places where he is shown this way. Local folklore says Khuldabad was once called Bhadravati and was ruled by King Bhadrasena, a devotee of Rama who sang his praises. Hanuman came down to listen and became so absorbed in the songs that he took the reclining Bhava-samadhi posture without realising it. Another tradition credits Saint Swami Samarth Ramdas with discovering the posture. Some believe Hanuman rested here while carrying the Sanjeevani mountain for Lakshmana.

The temple was destroyed after the Mughals won the region. In the 1960s, people began a movement to bring the idol back to its original site, and a new temple built of marble was raised there. The architecture mixes north Indian and south Indian styles. Shrines for Ram, Lakshman and Sita stand beside the main shrine with the reclining Hanuman. On Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami, lakhs of devotees come to the temple.

Festivals

• Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami daysHanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami

  Lakhs of devotees arrive at the temple on these days.

Tips for your visit

• Expect heavy crowds every Saturday and Tuesday, and on Saturdays in the month of Shraavana.
• The temple has its own parking area, useful because the lanes of Khuldabad are narrow.

Questions people ask