TIRUMALA: The Anjanadri Hills located in the Seshachala ranges is the birthplace of Sri Anjaneya Swamy, say experts citing evidence from puranas, sastras and epigraphy. They were speaking at the two-day international webinar on ‘Anjanadri Tirumala-Anjaneya Birthplace’ organised jointly by Sri Venkateswara Institute of Higher Vedic Studies and National Sanskrit University, which concluded at Ramaranjan Mukherjee Hall in the varsity on Saturday.
Acharya Chakravarti Ranganathan of National Sanskrit University emphasised that the Vaishnava literature of Alwar pasurams clearly indicated that the Anjanadri hillocks in Tirumala is the birthplace of Anjaneya Swami. He said even a stone inscription at Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple at Srirangam hailed Anjanadri as the birthplace of Hanuman.
Acharya Sri Rani Sadasiva Murthy of National Sanskrit University said Anjanadri was quoted extensively in Padma, Skanda and Brahmananda puranas. He also made a power-point presentation on the route taken by Sri Rama from Ayodhya to Sri Lanka.
Sri Archakam Ramakrishna Dikshitulu of Srivari temple spoke on the significance of Anjanadri in Sapthagiri and said that the Tiruppavada Seva performed at Srivari temple every Thursday by rendering Srinivasa Gadyam and Alavatta ritual spoke about the significance of Anjanadri.
In the valedictory session, TTD Additional EO AV Dharma Reddy said, “As soon as Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi was declared as birthplace of Sri Rama, TTD executive officer Dr KS Jawahar Reddy received many e-mails and WhatsApp messages from pilgrims across the country stating that TTD should put efforts to declare birthplace of Anjaneya Swamy, the ardent servant of Rama.’’
The Pundita Parishad was set up under Muralidhara Sharma, the VC of National Sanskrit University. “After four months of research and day and night exercise by this team of pundits, we have brought out a synopsis with all epigraphic, puranic, geological evidences and declared Anjanadri as the birthplace of Anjaneya on Sri Rama Navami on April 21 this year,” he said.