Jaya Nagar Biggest extension of Bangalore

Till late fifties Lalbagh was the south end of Bangalore. As any other city Bangalore also started expanding. In late fifties Bangalore started expanding beyond Lalbagh and the new extension was planned and was named Jayanagar. The place got its name ‘Jaya’ as a tribute to the then Maharaja of Mysore Sri Jayachamaraja Wodiyar, a scholar, a great statesman and a widely respected person throughout South. Jayanagar was the biggest [whole of Asia] planned extension programme by Bangalore Corporation. Each of the subdivision of the area was numbered as ‘Block’. The vast rocky area was developed into a beautiful posh locality. Mixture of good looking villas, bungalows and street houses made the extension a great place to live.

Temples of Jaya Nagar

Almost all the Blocks of Jayanagar had land allotted for different bodies for building up of place of worship. But the huge rocky area in the middle of Block 9 had a different story to tell. The hillock and the three stone on one corner had a big legend behind its existence. The legend of the huge rock and the three pillars is very interesting.

Ragigudda Legend

Sudharma was a pleasant and kind woman who always helped the needy and in distress. She was a dharma chintamai and use to feed who ever comes to her house and had the practice of eating only after offering food to the visitor. She was given on marriage to the son of a palayakar in the outskirts of present Bengaluru. The daughter-in-law of a Palayakar was not liked by the wife of the palayakar. While Sudharma is generous and ever ready to help one and all, her mother-in-law was just oppose to all these. Sudharma was liked by all and the people use to bless her for her good nature and tell her that she will definitely be blessed by God.

One fine day just after the harvest, they had three visitors who were extremely bright and ‘tejasvi’, asking for biksha standing on the doorway of the house. Sudharma was too pleased to give some newly harvested ragi to these maha purush. [There is popular belief that the Ragi grain is blessed by Sri Raghava [Sri Rama] and Sri Kapila maharishi and hence the grain is also known as ‘Raghava Dhanya’.] At the sight of this, her mother-in-law became furious and said that the new grains cannot be offered as biksha to strangers. When Sudharma insisted to part with the ragi grains which she had already offered to them as biksha, her mother-in-law became more furious. The three ‘tejasvi’ purush stood there watching this. Sudharma told her mother-in-law that once the ragi grains had been offered as biksha it cannot be taken back, and it is an adharmic act. Mother-in-law stood her ground and refused the biksha to three maha purush. Sudharma felt that if the ragi grains could not be offered to these maha purush for food, the grains are of no use to her either. The moment she thought so, the heap of newly harvested ragi grains turned to stone and looked like a small hillock. Three maha purushas gave dharshan to Sudharma as Sri Brahma, Sri Vishnu, and Sri Mahadev and blessed her. And as per Sudharma’s wish stood there to bless one and all who come there seeking their blessings.

The heap of ragi grains turned into hillock use to be called as Raghava dhanya guddi then in the course of time it became Rahava guddi and now Ragigudda. The ‘trimurti’ who came there and is part of the incident is present to bless us all as per the wishes of Sudharma.

Initiative of local

The residents of Jayanagar who were living near the huge Ragigudda were thrilled by the fact that they were living nearer to the place blessed by the Trimurti themselves. As elsewhere the youth of the locality formed a group and with the blessing and encouragement of the elders proposed a temple for Lord Hanuman on the top of the hillock. The idea started floating and many joined the venture and in late sixty they ventured to build a small sannadhi for Lord Anjaneya on the top of Ragigudda. Encouraged by the response from public in general and Jayanagar in particular, and with the blessings of Lord Hanuman a temple for the Lord was planned. Put into action resulting in a great temple complex in the entire five acres of land had come into existence.

The temple complex:

The huge temple complex is a feast to the eyes from the distance and enhances the devotee’s purity of mind. The complex could be seen built on ground level, at a smaller peak on the right of the main peak and at the main peak of the hillock.

At the ground level there is an office building on the left, a Prasad hall, a huge open air auditorium right in the front. Behind one can see goshala and through the passage that leads the devotee to have dharshan of ‘trimurthi’. On to the right side in the middle of the hillock one could see a temple complex with three vimana and devotees can have dharshan of Sri Ganapati, Sri Rajarajeshwari and Navagraha. The uniqueness of the Navagraha in this temple is that all the navagrahas are seen with their consort and mounted on their respective vahanas. The Sun is seen with his consorts Usha and Chaya in the higher pedestal on the chariot driven by seven horses.

Trimurthi Sannadhi:

Beautifully carved out Trimurties on single platform of 32 ft. tall monolithic blocks are seen in this Ragigudda temple complex. The devotees have the dharshan of Trimurties and seek the blessings in this kshetra Ragigudda.

The Ragigudda

The sannadhi of Sri Prasanna Anjaneyaswamy is on the top of Ragigudda. The temple at the top of the hillock if seen from one angle it will be seen as if the temple is on the back of an ‘annapakshi’ [a celestial bird] and floating in the air.

There is a separate step on the left that leads the devotee to the top of the hillock where Sri Hanuman’s sannadhi is present. After claiming around one hundred and fifty steps we land in a fairly big porch. In the centre we see big round pillar with lotus petal. One can see the main prakara on the left side. A huge wooden engraved arch way with Lord Hanuman in the centre and Sri Rama parivar on the right and Sri Siva parivar on the left is feast to the eyes of the devotee. In the sides of the arch way ‘dasavathara’ of Lord Vishnu is engraved.

Once entered in the hall, devotee could see the sannadhi of Lord in the center, sannadhi of Lord Rama parivar on the right and sannadhi that of Lord Siva on the left.

Lord Hanuman at Ragigudda [Sri Prasanna Anjaneyaswamy]

Devotee could see Lord Hanuman from the entrance itself. Lord Hanuman is seen with Sanjeevi Mountain on His left hand and in the right hand He holds a ‘gadha’ [mace] which is resting on His right shoulder. Lords’ tail is seen raised above His head and resting on the Sanjeevi parvath. He has put forward his left leg indicating that He will stamp down evil doers. Lord is seen wearing ornaments on His ankle, leg, hip, wrist, hands, chest, and neck. Lord’s head is covered with an ornamental crown. His ears has rathna kuntalam, on His forehead is urdha pundarikam. Lords eyes are seen glowing with karuna.

Social Activities of the Trust:

The entire management of the temple activities is done by a registered Trust. Apart from managing the temple the Ragigudda Trust is running a school with classes up to S.S.L.C with nearly 1300 students, both English and Kannada medium. All students are served with mid-day meal. They are also coached for competitive examinations. Yoga classes are conducted for public free of cost. Medical facilities like testing lab, ECG, scan, eye testing are also done free of cost. Music classes are conducted free of cost. The conventional hall is provided for nominal charges.

Festivals:

Every day is a festival day at this place. Abisheka is performed every day in the morning to the Lord and prasada is served to the devotees. In the evening mangala arati is conducted and prasada is served. On Saturdays the devotees are served ‘maha prasad’ [lunch]. There will be regular religious and philosophical lectures in the evening. The devotional and carnatic musical performance are also held at regular interval.

The annual function of this temple is Sri Hanumath Jayanthi which is celebrated on a grand scale. The twelve days mahotsava attracts huge devotees. There will be special poojas, abhishekams and homas during these days. Large numbers of devotees are served mahaprasada during this annual function.

I salute Thee to give me inspiration, magnanimity, and Santhi.

-Ms. Bawani Karthik
Coimbatore

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Ragigudda Sri Prasanna Anjaneyaswamy Temple
9th block, Jayanagar, Bangalore - 560 069
Phone: 91 80 26580500, 91 80 26594255

Working Hours of Temple : 8 AM to 11.30 AM & 5 PM to 8.30 PM
On Sat & Sun: 8 AM to 12.30 AM & 5 PM to 9 PM
Working Hours of Office : 9 AM to 1.30 PM & 5 PM to 8.30 PM

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