What Plans Does the K'taka Govt Have for Lord Hanuman’s Birthplace Anjanadri Hills?

Bengaluru, Sep 3 (NationPress) The government of Karnataka convened a high-level meeting on Wednesday to explore the development of the Anjanadri pilgrimage site in Koppal district, regarded as the birthplace of Lord Hanuman.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presided over the meeting at his residence, focusing on the advancement of Anjanadri Kshetra. According to an official statement from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), the Chief Minister has mandated that Anjanadri Hill be developed due to its significance in tourism, mythology, and spirituality.

“We will establish facilities to assist elderly devotees in reaching the hilltop, and discussions included the construction of a circumambulatory (pradakshina) path. During Hanuman Jayanti, millions of devotees flock to the hill, along with a substantial number of tourists from North India. Hence, we need to create dormitory accommodations, steps to aid senior pilgrims in ascending the hill, a community hall, and other tourist amenities, along with essential infrastructure in and around the kshetra,” stated CM Siddaramaiah.

“A budget of Rs 200 crore has been sanctioned for the development in Phase 1 and Phase 2. So far, Rs 10 crore has been released, and the Finance Department will allocate additional funds for the remaining grants,” he added during the meeting.

Due to a lack of government land, the acquisition of 77.28 acres of proposed private land has not been feasible thus far due to funding limitations. Including the additional land needed, a total of 101.30 acres of private land must be procured, and the necessary funds should be provided by the Finance Department, CM Siddaramaiah announced.

As most of the approved projects are located on forest land, the Forest Department needs to issue a NOC, and CM Siddaramaiah directed that efforts should be made to obtain it.

According to the 2024-25 State Budget, the Karnataka government has approved ropeway projects at 11 tourist locations throughout the state, including Anjanadri Hill, under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. The meeting saw participation from Minister for Law and Tourism H.K. Patil, Additional Chief Secretary Anjum Parvez, and senior officials from the Tourism Department.

Anjanadri Hill, found in the Koppal district of Karnataka, is a sacred site believed to be Lord Hanuman's birthplace. Located near Anegundi and across the Tungabhadra River from Hampi, this hill holds profound mythological and spiritual significance for Hindus.

According to Hindu mythology, Anjanadri Hill is named after Anjana, Hanuman's mother, and is linked to the ancient kingdom of Kishkinda, referenced in the Ramayana. At the summit, a temple dedicated to Hanuman contains a rock-carved idol of Lord Hanuman, along with shrines for Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Anjana. The temple can be accessed via a climb of 575 steps.