YantrodhÄraka ā the Hanuman installed by VyÄsarÄja
Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara empire (1336ā1646). The Anjaneya Hill (Anjanadri) is believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman. The YantrodhÄraka HanumÄn shrine was consecrated in 1528 CE by Sri VyÄsarÄja (guru of KrishnadevarÄya) ā the idol's exceptional feature is a protective yantra around Hanuman, whose pose differs from common iconography. Adjacent is the KishkindhÄ area of Hampi, the kingdom of the monkey-king Sugriva in the Ramayana ā every rock in Hampi has a Ramayana association.
HanumÄn GÄyatrÄ«
Every tradition in India ā textual, oral, tribal, regional, syncretic ā deserves first-person recognition. This entry honours Hindu on its own terms.
