The Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple was the first Anjaneyar Temple to be built in Sri Lanka. This temple is devoted to Lord Hanuman in his Panchamuga form, which literally translates to “five faces.”
The Sri Anjaneyar Temple is located in Dehiwala, which is roughly 9 kilometers away from the central business district of Colombo. Sri Hanuman is revered here as the principal deity of the temple. At this temple, you may also see sculptures of Nandi, Navagraha, Rama, Sita, the Jain idol of Lord Parshwanath, and Ganesha statues.
The Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple is the only temple in the whole world to have a chariot festival dedicated to Lord Hanuman. The doors of the temple open at 05:30 a.m and remain open until 8:00 p.m.
Nevertheless, the temple will be closed from 1:00 to 4:30 in the afternoon. When going to this temple, visitors are strongly encouraged to dress modestly, meaning they should wear clothes that cover their shoulders as well as their legs.
Because his mother’s name is Anjana, Hanuman is also known in the Tamil language by the name Anjaneyar. Every year, at the very end of December or the very beginning of January, The Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple celebrates its chariot festival. In the historical account known as the Ramayana Yatra, Hanuman is credited with helping Lord Rama win the battle against the mighty King Ravana.
In the epic Ramayana, Lord Shiva is said to have assumed the appearance of Hanumanji. This is a place associated with the Ramayana that may be visited during a trip to Sri Lanka. Everyone does their best to preserve the temple in its pristine condition, which contributes to the overall feeling of the place. You are requested to act in a polite manner and dress appropriately.
Swami Ji makes a daily trip to the temple at around 9 a.m. when he performs a special offering to Hanuman and then addresses the worshippers with words of inspiration. Both the location and the experience can only be described as one of a kind.
One more of the Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple’s distinguishing features is that the Navagrahas are arranged in a straight line, which is a very unusual feature. Another Hindu temple dedicated to Shaneeswara may be seen just across from this one.
Make every effort to stop by this Panchamuga Anjaneyar Temple. You are welcome to take part in the Aarthi and enjoy some devotional music as you do so for a period of half an hour. In addition to that, they give out prasadam (food) after Hindu poojas.
