Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneyaswami Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Chennai is the nearest airport for this temple.

• By train

  Putlur is the nearest railway station, and frequent local trains run from it.

• By road

  Frequent buses serve the temple, which lies between Avadi and Tiruvallur.

Why devotees come here

Sri Viswaroopa Panchamukha Anjaneyaswami Temple stands at Periyakuppam village in Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu. Its main figure is a 32-foot Hanuman with five faces, carved from one block of green granite. The image was consecrated on 6 June 2004.

In the Ramayana legend, Hanuman went down to the underworld to find Rama and Lakshmana. He learned that Mahiravana had to be killed by putting out five lamps at the same time. So he took a five-faced form, with the faces of Hanuman, Hayagriva, Narasimha, Garuda and Varaha, and put the lamps out. Mahiravana was killed at once.

The place was known as Rudhra Vanam in legendary times, where sages such as Agasthya did penance. The consecration on 6 June 2004 is described as the only such ceremony under Mantra Shastra.

The figure is carved from one large block of green granite, about 36 by 20 by 10 feet, brought from Hassan in Karnataka. It is described as the tallest image of its form at 32 feet. The image stands in a village 45 km from Chennai, on the Chennai to Tiruttani to Tirupathi route. Across India, Hanuman is worshipped under names such as Anjaneya, Hanumanji, Maruti and Bajrang Bali.

Tips for your visit

• The image stands in Periyakuppam village, so ask for Periyakuppam when you need directions.
• Ask for the Panchamukha Anjaneya Swami Ashram by name, since directions use that name.

Questions people ask