Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, New Delhi

Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, New Delhi was specially blessed by Shri Nathji.  Shri Nathji had ‘prasaad’ of laddoos distributed to the poor at the Hanuman Temple near Connaught Place on many occasions. Also Shri Nathji would send a hundred and one rupees and the messenger would feed the poor with the amount sent. It was done to propitiate Lord Hanuman. It was a strange sight–Lord Rama, in the form of Shri Nathji, propitiating the God, Hanuman, who was in fact a devotee of Lord Rama!

Shri Nathji once had this to say about the devotion of Hanuman to Lord Rama. Someone asked Hanuman what his relation with Lord Rama was, and Hanuman replied: “Rama is my Master and I am his servant. On the spiritual plane, He is God and I am His devotee. And going a step further–I would not say that He and I are one, for that would be impertinence. I would merely say that there is HE and only HE!”

Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place, New Delhi, is an ancient Hindu temple and is claimed to be one of the five temples of Mahabharata days in Delhi. (The other four temples are the Kalkaji, a Kali temple in South Delhi rock Idol, the Yogmaya Temple near Qutub Minar, the Bhairav temple near the Purana Qila and the Nili Chatri Mahadev at Nigambodh Ghat outside the walls of Old Delhi.)

The temple, which has a self manifest idol of Hanuman, has an unusual feature fixed in the spire (Viman) in the form of a crescent moon (an Islamic symbol) instead of the Hindu symbol of Aum or Sun that is commonly seen in most Hindu temples. This became particularly important during the Mughal period corroborating this extraordinary depiction.

The idol in the temple, devotionally worshipped as “Sri Hanuman Ji Maharaj” (Great Lord Hanuman), is that of Bala Hanuman namely, Hanuman as a child.

It is believed that Tulsidas (1532–1623), who wrote, visited this temple in Delhi. During his visit to Delhi, Tulsidas was summoned by the Mughal Emperor and asked to perform a miracle, which he did with the blessings of Lord Hanuman. The Emperor was pleased with Tulsidas and presented this Hanuman temple with an Islamic crescent Moon finial which adorns the temple spire. It is also claimed that because of the crescent moon symbol on the spire, the temple was not destroyed by the Muslim rulers who invaded India at various times.

Reportedly, the temple complex was built by Maharaja Man Singh I of Amber (1540–1614) during Emperor Akbar’s (1542-1605) reign. It was reconstructed by Maharaja Jai Singh (1688-1743) in 1724, around the same time as the Jantar Mantar. After that the temple has undergone many improvements making it a notable religious centre in the heart of Central Delhi.

An important feature of the worship at this temple is the 24–hour chanting of the mantra (hymn) "Sri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram", since August 1, 1964. It is claimed that this continuous chanting has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Entry to the temple is through the Baba Kharak Singh Marg (Road). The approach is through a set of marble steps from the road level leading into the main foyer of the temple through massive silver plated doors, which are engraved with scenes of the epic Ramayana story. The foyer is ventilated with clerestory windows that are adorned with paintings of Hanuman in the cardinal directions depicting his four aspects. Below each Hanuman painting, the full text of Tulsidas’s Sundar Kand is inscribed on the marble tablets affixed on the walls. The Sanctum Sanctorum, which houses the Hanuman idol, is on the north wall on the right side of the entry foyer (pictured), with the idol facing the southern direction in a small bass Relief carving (pictured). Images of Radha and Krishna, a central triumvirate of Rama, Lakshmana and Sita are also installed to the right of the Hanuman idol on the same wall. Main Idol of Bala Hanuman

As the idol of Hanuman faces the southern direction, devotees can discern only one eye of the idol. The idol depicts a Gada (club) in the left hand with the right hand crossed across the chest showing veneration to the adjacent idol of lord Rama, Lakshmana and Sita. A tapering crown adorns the idol, which has a sacred thread on the right shoulder and is clad in a fashioned dhoti. The height of the temple is reported to be 108 ft (32.9 m). The ceiling of the main mandap (hall or pavilion) depicts the epic story of Ramayana artistically painted.