Vyasa Prathistha Hanuman of Bangalore

Ask anyone about Vyasa Prathistha Hanuman in Bangalore and the most probable answer would be Gali Anjeneya Temple in Byatarayanapura on Mysore Road, the Minto Kannuaspatre on Alur Venkata Rao Road in Chamarajpet and the Kote Anjaneya Temple in City Market.

However, did you know that there are at least two dozen more Vyasa Prathistha Hanumans in Bangalore City limits alone and more than a dozen in Bangalore urban and rural district.

Vyasa Raja or Vyasa Theertha was born in Bannur near Mysore sometime in 1460. He initially studied in Abbur near Chennapatna under the tutelage of Bramanye Theertha and then under Sripadaraja in Mulabagal.

Vyasa Raja became the perceptor of six Vijayanagar Emperors, including Krishna Deva Raya. He also performed pooje at the Lord Venkateshwara shine in Tirumala from 1480 to 1492.

An avatar of Prahalada and Bahlika Raja, Vyasa Raja consecrated 732 temples to Hanuman and of them 365 are in Penukonda alone. The rest are a scattered all over India and the Bangalore-Mysore-Mandya-Chennapatna belt was the place where he consecrated the maximum number of Hanumans in Karnataka.

One of the first is the Gali Anjaneya Temple on the bans of the Vrushabhavati.

The other temples are the Ramanjaneya Temple opposite the Bus Stand at Shivaji Nagar; the Hanuman idol in Marenahalli, JP Nagar, 2^nd stage; the Varadanjaneyaswamy Temple in RBI Layout in JP Nagar 7th Phase; the Veeranjaneya Swamy Temple in Uttarahalli; the Anjaneya temple in Beniganahalli on old Madras Road and opposite the police station at Upparpet.

The other temples where Vyasa Raja consecrated Hanuman idols are on Kilari Road in Balepet; Kodigenahalli on Bellary Road;

Ramohalli in Kengeri near the Dodda Alada Mara; Koluru in  Tavarkere; Binny Mills Road in Cotonpet; Juganahalli in  Rajajinagar; Kare Kallu Anjaneya opposite police lines or police quarters on Mysore Road; Roshan Baug Road in  V.V. Puram which is better known as Prasanna  Anjaneyaswamy Temple.

There are also Vyasa Prathista Hanuman near Chord Road junction in Magadi Road; Ranganatha Swamy Temple on RT Road;

Cubbonpet Main Road; Chennasandra in Hesarghatta; the Lakshmikunte Sri Veeranjaneya Temple in Attibele; Bazar Street, Ulsoor;  Sri Anjaneyaswamy temple in Katriguppe, Banashankari 3^rd Stage; Sri Anjanayaswamy temple near the busstand in Srinagar

and the Gutte Anjaneya Swamy Temple near Lalbagh which is located behind the main HOPCPMS outlet.

Apart from these, the Karenji Anjaneya Temple in Gandhi Bazar, Basavanagudi, is one of the most famous temples of Bangalore. But this temple has nothing to do with Vyasa Raja. Another famous temple is the Maruti Mandira in Vijayanagar, the huge idol of Hanuman in front of ISCKON which is located in Mahalakshmi Layout. The Hanuman temple in Banaswadi is also famous and it is more than 150 years old.

The mammoth Hanuman Temple at Agara too is old. This is the Hanuman who crossed the Indian Ocean to rescue Sita.