Chalkapur Hanuman Temple near Bidar in Karnataka is famous for three forms of Hanuman worshipped - in the morning child form, afternoon young age form and in the evening the old age form.
Chalkapur is a village located in the Bhalki taluk of Bidar
district in Karnataka. It is a small, yet beautiful and sacred village situated
near the Manjra (also known as Karanja), a tributary of the Godavari River.
The name "Chalka" comes from a goddess who is
believed to always reside on top of a hill near Chalkapur, known as Sanjeevani
Hill. It is said that this is a small part of the hill where Hanuman brought
the Sanjeevani herb to revive Lakshmana. At the top of this hill, both Lord
Eshwara and Goddess Chalka are believed to be eternally present. In the
village, Lord Hanuman is worshipped, along with Lord Rama at the Atmaram temple.
Hence, the village came to be known as Chalkapur.
It is believed that holy cows and saints still reside at the
foot of the hill, continuing to chant sacred mantras and meditate upon Lord
Hanuman. The village is home to a unique idol of Hanuman, unlike any other
found in the world. The daily worship and devotional singing (bhajans) here are
considered very special, and Lord Hanuman is believed to be extremely powerful
in this place.
Annual Festivals
Every year, two major Hanuman festivals (Jatras) are
celebrated — one during Deepavali and the other on the full moon day of
Dhanurmasa (also known as Dhavanada Hunnime). Apart from daily visits, large
pilgrimages take place during these occasions.
Daily rituals for Lord Hanuman include Kumkuma Puja
(vermilion worship), Alankara Puja (decoration), and Gandha Alankara
(sandalwood decoration).
The village is also renowned as the birthplace of Shri
Siddharoodha Swamiji, whose Siddharoodha Math in Hubballi continues to be a
prominent spiritual center.