Rare Temples of Lord Hanuman # 8

Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!

Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!

Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vaasudevaya!

  Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!

Nettikanti Aanjaneya Swamy

(Kasapuram)

Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama

Kasapuram is a small village located near Guntakal town in Andhra Pradesh where the presiding Deity is Lord Hanuman popularly known as Kasapuram Aanjaneya Swamy.  Nearly 500 years old idol of Lord Hanuman at this temple is said to have been consecrated by Sri Vyasarayaru the great saint and philosopher of Sri Madhwacharya order.  Sri Vyasarayaru an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman who lived during 15^th century had visited several places across South India and installed/consecrated several idols of Lord Hanuman. Kasapuram was one of such places visited by Sri Vyasarajaru during his religious tour.  

As per the Kshethra Charithra it is said that during one of his religious tours Sri Vyasarayaru was staying in a village by name Shilpagiri currently known as Chippagiri about 20 km from Guntakal.  While camping at this place, one night Sri Vyasarayaru had a dream wherein, he was directed by Lord Hanuman to excavate His idol beneath the soil in a nearby place, then known as Nettikallu and install the same.  To identify the said location, further it was also informed by Lord Hanuman that a withered neem tree would be seen over the spot that would become fresh the moment Sri Vyasarayaru reaches there. 

Next day Sri Vyasarayaru started on his mission to identify the location.  After travelling a good distance he came across the spot and identified the same as per the directions given by Lord Hanuman in his dream. To the astonishment of everybody the withered neem tree at that spot started sprouting fresh leaves by the touch of Sri Vyasarayaru’s feet.  Having identified the spot Sri Vyasarayaru with the help of local villagers excavated a ten feet idol of Lord Hanuman and reinstalled the same at the present site with full religious rites and worshipped the same. 

Nettekallu is a Kannada word meaning good stone (Nettage + Kallu) and Kanti is a Telugu word meaning spotted.  Since the idol of Lord Hanuman was spotted at Nettikallu village the Lord at this place thenceforth came to be known as Nettikanti Aanjaneyaswamy. It is also locally said that Nettikanti means one eyed.  The idol of Lord Hanuman is carved in such a manner that the right eye of the Lord is prominently visible.  The idol is south facing with his face directed towards the east (Poorvaabhimukhi).  Clad in Koupeena with one hand placed firmly on his waist holding a mace and the other one a raised hand Abhayahastha assuring his devotees of His ever ready help and at the same time crushing under his feet the evil spirits that can be seen during the time of abhisheka. 

Lord Hanuman as such is a very powerful Deity and Nettikanti Aanjaneya Swamy at Kasapuram village sanctified with the touch of great Madhwa Saint, Sri Vyasarayaru has become a spiritual solution for several of his devotee’s ordeals.  Worshipping the Lord at this place is specially known as a remedy for affliction from evil spirits, Navagraha doshas, lack of progeny, ill health etc. We find several devotees worshipping Lord Hanuman and performing seva at this temple ranging from one day to 41 days (mandala) for several of their mundane problems.  During the seva period the devotees stay at the temple, take bath in the nearby Pushkarini (lake) and perform circumambulations with wet clothes according their capacity. The devotees have to observe certain austerities like one time meals, abstaining from sensual pleasures, eating vegetarian food, avoiding smoking and drinking etc during seva period.  As a token of their owe fulfillment we also find devotees tonsuring their head.  Personal experiences of devotees and the published results are standing as testimony to the Mahima of Nettikanti Aanjaneya Swamy at Kasapuram.

The temple of Lord Hanuman at Kasapuram is currently managed by the Endowments department of Govt. of Andhra Pradesh. The temple is generally open for darshan from morning 6 am to 12 noon and again from 3.30 pm to night 8.00 pm.  During weekends and on festive occasions the temple is open for extended hours.  Tuesdays and Saturdays are popular days for worshipping Lord Hanuman.  Daily rituals are performed as per Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. Devotees also offer Aaku Pooja with Betel leaves, and Vadamala (offering garland of a dish made with Urad dal) Seva to Lord Hanuman. For the convenience of devotees offering Seva at this temple, several cottages and guest houses have been constructed by the devotees to provide accommodation at reasonable cost.  The temple also provides daily free food (Anna Dana) facility for a limited number of devotees.

Apart from Saturdays other important days at the temple are Ugadi, Sri Rama Navami, Hanuma Jayanthi (Vaisakha Bahula Dasami), Hanumad Vratham during Margasira Masam, Full Moon days during the lunar months of Chaithra, Jyesta, Aashada, Sraavana, Maagha and Phalguna.  On these occasions special celebrations and rituals are held at the temple.

Guntakal one of the biggest railway junctions of South Central Railways on the Chennai-Mumbai route is well connected with major cities and towns.  Apart from this Guntakal located in Ananthapur district of Andhra Pradesh is also well connected by road with the nearby major towns like Kurnool, Ananthapur, Gooty, Adoni, Raichur and Bellary.  From Guntakal the temple is about 7 km from Railway station and about 5 km from Bus-stand and plenty of auto-rickshaw and local bus facilities are available for the visitors.

It is said and believed that Sri Vyasarayaru had consecrated the idols of Lord Hanuman at three places on the same day viz. 1) Nettekallu 2) Nemakallu 3) Muradi (near Rayadurga) all the three in Ananthapur district. Having darshan of all the three temples on the same day especially on a Tuesday or Saturday during the lunar month of Sravana is considered as highly meritorious. 

Growing in popularity and stature the temple of Lord Hanuman at Kasapuram is attracting thousands of devotees from across the country who visits this temple either for fulfillment of their desires or to get rid of their suffering. Since time immemorial and even today it is strongly believed that Lord Hanuman would mitigate the sufferings and difficulties of devotees who pray him with sincere devotion.

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu