Veera Anjaneya Swami Temple located at Mylapore in Chennai
in Tamil Nadu is a popular shrine dedicated to Hanuman. The shrine is popularly
known as Luz Anjaneya Temple and is one of the oldest Hanuman Temples in
Chennai. Offering Vada Malai on New Years’ day (January 1) is an important
ritual here.
It is believed that Shettys who ran away from Mysore to
escape Muslim persecution established the Luz Anjaneya Temple around 350 years
ago.
The murti of Hanuman faces west and is depicted as walking
towards southern direction. His eyes are adorned with earrings. The two-armed
murti holds mace in the left hand and the right hand is in Abhaya Mudra. The
eyes of the murti have a bright color. He wears armlets known as keuura,
bangles known as kankana and anklet known as Thandai. The long tail of the
murti is raised above the head and is pointing towards South.
The sanctum sanctorum also has an utsava murti or procession
idol of Hanuman. A Panchaloha Venugopla Swamy too is found in the sanctum.
It is said that Sri Rajagopalachari had placed the manuscript
of his Ramayana Retold at the temple before publishing it.
Originally a modest shrine, the temple allowed passersby to catch a glimpse of Bhagwan Anjaneya Swami directly from the main road. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of both the management and the devotee community, the temple grounds have recently been expanded and a grand Rajagopuram has been erected.
Every New Year's Day (January 1), the threshold of devotion peaks, with the number of Vada Malai offerings to the deity expected to surpass five hundred. Devotees firmly believe that offering a Vada Malai at this sacred kshetra fulfills their deepest wishes, as Bhagwan Anjaneya Swami is revered here as Vanchithaya Pradhanan—the granter of all desires.