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Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
Hanuman (Anjaneyar) · Namakkal, Tamil Nadu
॥ ॐ हनुमते नमः ॥
The Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple enshrines an eighteen-foot Hanuman carved from a single block of stone, standing open to the sky with no roof above him, his palms joined in worship toward the lord Narasimha across the way. One of the tallest single-stone images of Hanuman, it has stood at the foot of the Namakkal rock since the early centuries of the Tamil land.
The eighteen-foot servant
The standing Anjaneyar of Namakkal rises some eighteen feet, hewn from one great stone, his hands folded in eternal devotion. He faces the rock-cut shrine of Narasimha and the goddess Namagiri Lakshmi, gazing forever upon his lord — and so, by tradition, no roof is built over him, that nothing may come between the servant and the lord he beholds.
Beneath the open sky
The image stands in the open, without a tower or roof, a feature found at few temples and held sacred here. The temple lies below the Namakkal rock, crowned by an old fort, in a town whose very name comes from the great stone (nam-kal). Rock-cut shrines of the Pallava age, carved with reliefs of Vishnu, adjoin the towering Hanuman.
The goddess Namagiri
The goddess of Namakkal, Namagiri Thayar, is famously the deity whom the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan credited with his visions of numbers, and her shrine draws pilgrims alongside the great Anjaneyar. Hanuman Jayanti is the temple’s grandest festival, when the eighteen-foot lord is honoured with lamps and procession.
How to reach the temple
- By road: the temple is in Namakkal town, about 55 km from Salem and 70 km from Tiruchirapalli.
- By train: Namakkal and Salem are the nearer railheads.
- By air: Tiruchirapalli and Salem are the nearest airports.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is special about the Namakkal Anjaneyar?
It is an eighteen-foot Hanuman carved from a single block of stone, standing open to the sky with no roof, his palms joined toward the lord Narasimha across the way.
Why is there no roof over the idol?
Hanuman gazes forever upon his lord Narasimha, so by tradition no roof is built over him, that nothing may come between the servant and the lord he beholds.
How tall is the image?
The standing Anjaneyar rises about eighteen feet, among the tallest single-stone images of Hanuman.
Who is Namagiri Thayar?
Namagiri Thayar is the goddess of Namakkal, famously credited by the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan with his visions of numbers; her shrine adjoins the Hanuman temple.
What is the main festival?
Hanuman Jayanti is the grandest festival, with lamps and procession of the great Anjaneyar.
How do I reach Namakkal?
Namakkal is about 55 km from Salem and 70 km from Tiruchirapalli; Namakkal and Salem are the nearer railheads.
॥ जय बजरंगबली ॥ • Bhaktiras.net Temple Guide
| Deity | Hanuman as Anjaneyar (18 ft, single stone) |
| Special | Open to the sky — no roof; faces Narasimha |
| Associated | Goddess Namagiri Thayar |
| Style | Pallava-era rock-cut shrines adjoin |
| Setting | Below the Namakkal rock |
| Main Festival | Hanuman Jayanti |