Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple - Mahalakshmi layout - Bangalore

Sri Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple
Mahalaxmi Layout,
Bangalore - 560 086
Phone: +91-80-2349 2795
The Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple, atop a hillock in Mahalakshmi Layout in the city, won the cleanliness award for "The Best-Maintained Temple" in 1999.
Guruji Sri Narendra Babu Sharmaji, gave an exclusive programme on this temple in which Guruji played the video of the Lord Prasanna Veeranjaneya in Benne Alankara (decoration with butter) which was an wonderful sight. Guruji gave many details on this temple, while giving the details Guruji also mentioned Suchindram Anjaneya temple but didn't furnish any details. I will try to post the details of this temple in upcoming posts.

Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple - Bangalore

Mahalakshmipura
Mahalakshmipura, Bangalore, was once a range for shooting practice, during the rule of Mysore Maharaja. There stood an elegant colossal rock erect on the top of a hillock with small hillocks at a distance, as the backdrop. It was a magnificent sight to see the erect rock from the distance.

When the Bangalore Development Authority were developing new layouts in Bangalore, Mahalakshmipura was renamed Mahalakshmi Layout. BDA had identified this area for development as a community living area, with all basic amenities.

The rock on the top of the hillock measured twenty-two feet in height and sixteen feet in breadth and four feet width. It so happened that the rock was in the 'eesanya' (northeast) corner of the plot, earmarked, for community amenities by BDA. The northeast corner is considered auspicious.

Painting of Lord Anjaneya
On the intuition of the local residents, a grand painting of Lord Anjaneya was made on the rock. The Lord was named as Sree Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy. The first pooja was performed during 1973 on Ramanavami day. Further to this, on formation of a committee with proper permission from the public authorities it was decided to have a carving of the deity of Sri Prasanna Veeranjaneya Swamy in the place of the painting. Sri Shanmugananda Stapati was entrusted with this work. On completion of the carving of the deity, the Prana Pratista was performed on 7th June 1976 in the holy presence of HH Sri Shivabalayogi Mahraj.

Prasanna Veeranjaneya
The 22-foot deity Prasanna Veeranjaneya, carved out of a single monolithic rock, the temple is well known for its free medical services. The temple occupies 13 acres of land. Until the 1960s, the hillock and surrounding area was barren. In 1968, people began to be occupy the area. In 1973, the people in the area began worshipping the rock and painted an image of Anjaneya flying with the Sanjeevini Hill. Later, the same painting was sculpted into an idol of Anjaneya in 1975 by a sculptor, Shanmugananda. Since then, people have worshipped the idol with deep reverence. On June 7th 1976, the idol was installed with traditional ceremony, with former chief minister, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, the then Congress general secretary P V Narasimha Rao and others in attendance. A 15-member trust currently manages the temple. Benne Alankara (decoration with butter) of the deity Anjaneya at Prasanna Veeranjaneya Temple is done every year in the month of August. For the Benne Alankara, 420 kilograms of butter is used. About 18,000 devotees contribute the butter required for this ritual. The day after the ritual, the butter is removed and distributed to the devotees as prasada. On Hanumat-jayanthi day the temple distributes fruits to about 5,000 monkeys in and around Bangalore.

The huge rock depicts a simple figure of Anjaneya in a standing position holding the 'parvatha' in his right hand and the 'Ghadha' in his left hand with his palm resting on his thigh. His hair is tied up neatly and he wears a crown. On his chest is etched, the figure of Lord Sri Rama. He wears a silver earring, wears a necklace and anklets adorn his ankles. He wears an ornament with a bell shaped pendant on his right leg. Each of his arms are adorned by an armlet and a bracelet. The huge depiction of Sri Prasanna Anjaneyaswamy is magnificent, inspiring, and at the same time pleasant on the eyes.

Temple Complex
Along with the construction of main temple measuring 40 feet by 40 feet, three separate sannathis were also constructed just behind the main temple. White marble idols of Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Seetha and Anjaneya were consecrated in the center Sannathi. Lord Abhaya Hastha Ganapathi and Lord Lakshmi were constructed on either side of the Sri Rama Sannathi.

On completion of the construction of the main temple and the other three sannathis, on 10th June 1985, the 6.5-ft gold plated copper Kalasham was installed on the Vimana of the main temple. HH Sri Abhinava Ramananda Saraswathi performed the Kumbhabhishekham.


The temple complex spread over thirteen acres, has a separate grand sannathi for Mahalakshmi. The Goddess Mahalakshmi idol, which is twelve feet height, is seated on a five feet fully carved-blossomed lotus. Sri Mohan Raj and Sri Raja Ganapathi carved this. The idol - befitting the name of Mahalakshmi Lay Out, encompassing the entire area surrounding the hillock - is both pleasing to the eye and is very graceful.

There are two shelters built -one for housing the plant 'vella erukku' and the other for the 'tulasi' plant. The former is located opposite to Abhaya Hastha Ganapathi. It is eight sided and 'Ashta Ganapathi' has been carved on its sides. The shelter housing the Tulsi plant is located opposite to the Lakshmi sannathi. It is also eight sided and has 'Ashta Lakshmi' carved on it's sides.

There is a beautiful, pleasant meditation hall with deities Lord Kodanda Rama and Sri Dhyana Anjaneya. Adjacent is a huge library with a wide collection of religious books.

Social Activities of the Trust
The Trust is engaged in social activities like providing free medical facilities [inclusive of providing facilities for free eye operation and free food for patients and their caretakers till the patient is discharged. To keep alive the tradition lectures on Vedanta, Harikatha Kalakshepams, and other cultural programmes like music, traditional dances are also organised.

Present activities of the Trust
The trust had now undertaken the task of fulfilling the long cherished desire of devotees to make the temple a "Golden Anjaneya Temple", by fixing gold coated copper sheets in the vimana etc. Devotees who are interested in contributing towards this can make out a cheque or draft drawn in favour of "Sri Prassanna Veeranjaneya Swamy Trust, Bangalore"

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