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 People from far off places make it a point to visit Adhi Vyadihara Bhakta Anjaneya. More than a lakh of devotees visit the shrine every month. Since Anjaneya is fond of music, the trustees used to organise a music festival from their Mylapore days. Hanumath Jayanthi Music Festival coincided with New Year's Day and it was a mega event.
Veena player E Gayathri and mandolin maestro Srinivas had their 'arangetram' (debut) there as child artistes. This musical festival is continues even now. Celebrated Carnatic musicians have performed here. The nightingale of music M S Subbulakshmi and Pithamaha of Carnatic music. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, have performed here.
The temple has been awarding Hanumath Gana Siromani to artistes every year for almost 8 years consecutively. What is amazing is that the choice of the artistes is left to Hanuman. Tiny papers containing the names of the artistes are shuffled and put across the God's feet. By draw of lots, one artiste is chosen for the coveted prize. The cash prize of Rs 25,000 and a silver plaque and Anjaneya dollar are presented to the winner. Eminent musicians have received this laurel:
1. Narasimha Iyengar (Gottuvadyam 1997)
2. D K Pattammal -1998
3. T M Tyagarajan - 1999
4. Namagiripettai Krishnan
5. Ramani - Flute
6. Tiruvengadu Jayaraman
7. Veenai Gayatri
8. Bombay Sisters
 The trustees being music lovers and patron of fine arts, Harikatha Kalakshepam - spiritual discourses - are held during Rama Navamani and Krishna Jayanthi festivals. Bhagavatham discourse is conducted for almost eight days during Lord Krishna's birthday.
The endless distribution of prasadam is a welcome feature. Devotees coming out of the temple with prasadam in their hands is a common sight here. Pavaman Annadhana Trust feeds almost 150 people every day. Devotees who come from distant places around midday are offered lunch in the temple. Prasadam is cooked with firewood in the traditional way.
The pooja starts with Viswaroopa darshan where the cow and calf appear before the Lord. Madhwa pundits recite 'Hari Vayu Sthuthi' for 4 hours from 7.30 a.m. Abishekam is performed for the deities for 16 to 17 days a month by devotees with prior intimation.
2 or 3 Poorna Vadamalai and Vadamali can be done on all days. Thirumanjanam is performed for all the deities every day.
Kalyana Utsavam for Sita-Rama is performed in a traditional way. 'Rukmini Kalyanam' is done on the last Sunday of every month. Thulabaram can be performed in Lord Krishna's sanctum sanctorum.
A unique aspect of the temple is Raksha Bandhan. A red thread of 21 knots is given to devotees who request for it, on Saturdays. The knots are tied after special chanting of mantras. This has helped solve the problems of the people, and the thread can even be couriered abroad, declares Prabhakar, one of the trustees.
Following convention, a nagaswara vidwan plays for almost two hours in the mornings and evenings to create a divine musical atmosphere. The vastram (holy cloth) for the Lord cost nearly Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000Devotees vie with one another to present the Lord with
vastram.
There is a Goshala (cows sanctuary) where there are 20 cows. The milk of 'Gomata' is used for the abishekam of the Lord. The trust is constructing a kalyana mandapam, which is a mega project, adjoining the temple.
Everybody is looked after with utmost care in the temple. Vedic scholars and priests are paid well. So are the cooks. The trustees have toiled hard to make this temple a spiritual edifice and an ethereal spot. I would like to name them:
 Present trustees:
1. Founder - Ramani Iyer
2. Chairman - K R V Srinivasa Rao
3. Secretary - R. Prabhakar
4. Treasurer - V Kalyana Sundaram
5. P. B. Ramanujam
6. V Parthasarathy
7. A. Satyamurti
8. G V Ramani
Address:
Sri Adhi Vyadhihara Bhakta Anjaneya Swami Temple
Sri Maruthi Bhakta Samajam Trust (Regd)
1, 8th Street
Ram Nagar
Nanganallur
Chennai
Phone: 2234 8606
Website:
www.viswaroopa.org/maruthi
| http://business.vsnl.com/anjaneya
Conculed
UshaRaja
Plot-93-D,
Second Main road,
Nanganallur,
Chennai-600061.
usharaja60@hotmail.com
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Anjaneyar Temple - 7
