Kere Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Sringeri – The Western Sentinel of Sharada Peetham
When Jagadguru Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavatpadacharya
established the Sharada Peetham at Sringeri and consecrated the idol of Sri
Sharadamba upon the Sri Chakra, he did not leave the sanctity of the settlement
to chance. To safeguard the holy town from all directions, he installed four
guardian deities, one at each cardinal point: Kalabhairava, Vana Durga,
Kalikamba, and, on the western side, Sri Anjaneya Swamy. Each of these deities
continues to be worshipped with reverence, and local tradition holds that they
have shielded Sringeri through centuries of change and challenge.
Sri Anjaneya of the West and the Kere
The western guardian is Sri Anjaneya Swamy, whose form is
carved directly upon rock within the sanctum, reached by a flight of steps.
Since a kere, the Kannada word for lake, once stood before this shrine, the
deity came to be affectionately known as Kere Anjaneya Swamy. Though the lake
itself has since given way to modern development, the name endures as a living
link to the temple's original setting. This is considered by devotees to be the
only Anjaneya shrine personally consecrated by Adi Shankaracharya himself,
which lends it a distinct sanctity among the many Hanuman temples of Karnataka.
Anjaneya in Scripture
Sri Hanuman, son of Vayu, is celebrated throughout the
Ramayana as the embodiment of strength, devotion, and selfless service. A
traditional verse of salutation recited before him declares:
"Mano javam maruta tulya vegam, jitendriyam
buddhimatam varishtham, vata atmajam vanara yudha mukhyam, sri rama dutam
sirasa namami."
This may be rendered as: salutations with a bowed head to
the messenger of Sri Rama, whose speed matches the mind and the wind, who has
mastered his senses, who is foremost among the wise, and who leads the army of
vanaras. This verse captures precisely the qualities devotees seek to invoke
when they visit the Kere Anjaneya shrine.
Festival and Sevas
The principal festival of the temple is the Deepotsava, celebrated on a Saturday during Kartika Masa Krishna Paksha, conducted on a grand scale, often in the benign presence of the Sringeri Jagadguru. Devotees also offer sevas such as Ashtottara Shatanamarchana and Panchamruta Abhisheka, seeking strength, courage, protection from obstacles, and freedom from fear, blessings traditionally associated with Anjaneya worship.