Kishkinda – Anjaneya Parvat Mythology:
A very popular myth associates the Hampi landscape with the Hindu epic of the Ramayana. The kingdom of monkeys, Kishkinda, is described as the region around Hampi. The hill of Anjaneya, located on the other side of the Tungabhadra river, is believed to be the birthplace of Hanuman.
Sri Rama and Lakshmana arrive in Hampi in search of his lost wife Sita Devi. Hanuman, the general of the monkey king Sugriva mistook them for spies from Sugriva ‘s rebel parents. Hearing their story, Hanuman takes them to Sugreeva. Finally, he takes them to a cave and shows them a set of jewelry. Sri Rama recognizes his wife Sita’s jewels. Sugreeva explains that Goddess Sita dropped them on this site when the demon Lanka king Ravana kidnapped her in his flying chariot.
Later, Rama kills Vali, Sugreeva’s rebellious brother, and Sugriva became the king of the monkey kingdom.
Hanuman flees to Lanka and returns back to Kishkinda and informs Sri Rama that Goddess Sita is in fact in Ravana’s custody. Hanuman offers Rama the help of his army of monkeys to cross a bridge and attack Lanka. The rain spoils and the plan gets postponed until the end of the rains. Rama and Lakshmana take refuge during the rainy season on a nearby hill in Malyavanta. The epic continues to save Sita from Lanka and further.
What that means are the places told in the epic. The place is considered sacred because the imprint of Rama was born, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Hanuman, who is a ardent follower of Sri Rama, is an icon of devotion and courage. Probably Hampi has many more Hanuman icons than any other god. Rishimukha Hills, where Hanuman met Rama and Lakshmana, is a hermitage. The cave where Sugriva supposedly hides the fallen gems is on the way to the temple of Vittala through the ruins of the river.
Matunga Hill was named after sage Matunga (who cursed Vali with death if he enters this place) is the highest place of Hampi. The temple dedicated to Rama on the hill of Malyavanta is an important place of pilgrimage and tourism. A heap of ash hill at a village near the Vittala temple is believed to be that of pyre of Vali.
The temples are generously carved with mythical themes. This may be because it was (and still is!) The kingdom of the monkey’s, the images of the monkeys are beautifully carved on the walls and pillars of the temples of Hampi.
As a tourist in this place, all these places are located in a circuit that forms a typical route.
