Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple

Getting there

• By air

  Jindal Vijaynagar Airport in Toranagallu is about 32 km away. Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) in Bengaluru is also named for the temple.

• By train

  Hospet Junction (HPT) is the nearest railway station. It lies on the Hubballi to Guntakal line.

Why devotees come here

Yantrodharaka Hanuman Temple stands on Anjaneya Hill, on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in Hampi, Karnataka. The Madhva saint Vyasaraya praised the shrine, and Vyasaraja composed a hymn to this Hanuman, the Yantrodharaka Hanuman Stotra.

The shrine was praised by Vyasaraya, a Madhva saint, and Vyasaraja composed a short hymn to this Hanuman called the Yantrodharaka Hanuman Stotra. Legend says Rama and Hanuman first met here, on a hill called Malyavana hill. Legend also says Hanuman appeared to Vyasaraja on the twelfth day of his devotion and blessed him. In the telling, that visit was the culmination of his unwavering devotion.

Sri Vyasaraja, rajaguru of the Vijayanagara Kingdom and a leading figure of Dwaita philosophy, established the temple. The Yantrodharaka Hanuman idol was installed by Vyasatirtha. The temple sits on Anjaneya Hill, about 2 kilometres from the famous Virupaksha Temple. Hanuman is carved seated in padmasana at the centre of a six-cornered yantra, on a single stone boulder that stands eight feet tall. Carvings of twelve monkeys surround the yantra.

Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565, when it was abandoned. In early medieval times, the site was a pilgrimage place known as Pampakshetra. Vyasatirtha, also called Vyasaraja, lived from 1447 to 1539. As rajaguru of the empire, he stood at the centre of a golden age of Dvaita philosophy.

Tips for your visit

• The climb is over 500 steps and can take 45 minutes to an hour.
• Kodandarama Temple, dedicated to Rama, is near this temple.

Questions people ask