“Sri Hanuman Ji Maharaj” is how devotees devotionally worship the idol here. That’s because this Small Lord Hanuman Idol represents Hanuman as a child. This temple in Connaught Place is an ancient Hindu temple. It stands as one of the five temples from the Mahabharata days in Delhi.
This temple has an unusual feature. A crescent moon sits atop the spire. This is instead of the Hindu symbol of Aum or the Sun. This became important during the Mughal period. It corroborates this extraordinary depiction.
Legend says Delhi was Indraprastha. The Pandavas of the Mahabharata epic built it. During their exile, Hanuman appeared to Bhima. He was disguised as a weak and aged monkey. Bhima was arrogant. Hanuman wanted to subdue this. Bhima apologized when he realized the monkey’s true form. Hanuman then showed Bhima his size. It was the same size he used to cross the sea to Lanka. He was looking for Maa Sita Ji during the Ramayana. After the Pandavas won the war, they built five temples. These temples were dedicated to Hanuman and other deities.
Tulsidas visited this temple. He wrote Ramcharitamanas. He also penned the famous Hanuman Chalisa hymns. The Mughal Emperor summoned Tulsidas. He asked him to perform a miracle. Tulsidas did so with Lord Hanuman’s blessings. The Emperor gifted the Hanuman temple an Islamic crescent Moon finial. This now adorns the temple spire. Some say the crescent moon saved the temple. Muslim rulers who invaded India did not destroy it.
Maharaja Man Singh I of Amber originally built it. This was during Emperor Akbar’s reign. Maharaja Jai Singh reconstructed it in 1724. This was around the same time as the Jantar Mantar. The temple has undergone many improvements since then. It is now a notable religious center in Central Delhi.
You enter the temple through the Baba Kharak Singh Marg. Marble steps lead from the road. They guide you to the main foyer through silver-plated doors. The doors have scenes from the Ramayana engraved on them. Clerestory windows ventilate the foyer. They are adorned with paintings of Hanuman in the cardinal directions. These paintings show his four aspects. Below each painting is the full text of Tulsidas’s Sundar Kand. It’s inscribed on marble tablets on the walls. The Sanctum Sanctorum houses the Hanuman idol. It faces south in a small bas-relief carving. Images of Radha and Krishna are installed. Also, a central triumvirate of Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita are there. They are to the right of the Small Lord Hanuman Idol on the same wall.
Only one eye of the idol is visible to devotees. The idol holds a Gada in its left hand. Its right hand crosses the chest. This shows veneration to Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita. A tapering crown adorns the idol. It wears a sacred thread and a fashioned dhoti. The temple’s height is 108 ft. The main mandap’s ceiling depicts the Ramayana. The New Delhi Municipal Corporation has enhanced the temple. They added a shrine to Shiva and Parvati. Also, there are idols of Durga, Lakshmi Narayan, and Ganesha. In an annex is the idol of goddess Santoshi Mata. She is the wish-fulfilling goddess.
Tuesdays and Saturdays are special worship days. Devotees gather at the temple. Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated every year. It is on the full moon day in the month of Chaitra. Colorful processions fill the streets. Devotees wear Hanuman masks and tails. They carry large idols of Hanuman. Commercial shops sell religious offerings and bangles. Women often get Mehndi here.
The Small Lord Hanuman Idol here is more than a statue. It’s a beacon of faith. It is a testament to devotion and history.