Sri Anjaneyar Temple - Port Dickson (Negeri Sembilan)

 Sri Anjaneyar

As the fearsome Gurkha warriors from a nearby army barrack paint the final touches on Anjaneyar, they jubilantly shout 'Jai Shree Hanuman, Jai Shree Hanuman, Jai Shree Hanuman'. In the 1920's, these fearless soldiers who were far flung in a remote corner of Malaya had a spiritual yearning to build a shrine for their valorous Anjaneyar, a divine monkey warrior who is revered devoutly in Nepal. These soldiers banded together and located an ideal spot close to their barracks and begun building the shrine. Upon completion, the Gurkha's rejoiced that they have built a shrine for their beloved monkey warrior. Anjaneyar grips the sacred 'Kaumodaki' (divine mace of Lord Hanuman) with an intense clasp to battle demonic forces that harass his devotees. Anjaneyar's face brims with jubilation, blissfully rescuing his cherished devotees from the cruel clutches of the karmic cycle. Anjaneyar's gaze is towards the immense sea, his cosmic eyes scour the mighty Indian ocean to pinpoint Ravana's kingdom, the alluring Sri Lanka. The esteemed Sundara Kandam describes how Anjaneyar discovers a forlorn Sita in the midst of Ravana's bewitching garden. The malnourished Sita is consoled by Anjaneyar that her beloved Rama will soon cross the mighty ocean and rescue Sita from the sadistic imprisonment by Ravana. Anjaneyar promises Sita her troubles will be at an end, and so will ours once we have reached the holy abode of Sri Anjeyar at Port Dickson.

A focal point of this temple is the legendary belief that the temple's primary statue, an emerald green Anjaneyar had mysteriously turned his holy face to overlook the sea. This legend has been passed on by word of mouth amongst ardent devotees of the temple, having witnessed the miraculous changes themselves. Apparently the face changing position occurred in the 1960's when a British tourist took a photograph of the shrine. At that point of time, Anjaneyar's face was facing straight ahead. A few years later when the tourist returned to visit the temple, he was perplexed to witness the change of position. The sacred sculpture of Lord Anjaneyar had turned and now faced the vast luminescent sea, his gaze observing the rise and fall of ocean tides and the mesmerizing sea waves. Perhaps Anjaneyar protects all those who traverse the Straits of Malacca, or conceivably to safeguard against evil entities lurking beneath the chaotic sea. Whatever the reason for this mystical event, this belief has garnered the interest of many sincere devotees who frequent this popular temple.

               Sri Anjaneyar

'Shani kilamai' (Saturday in Tamil) is a day associated with Saneeswaran (deity for Saturn). Saneeswaran dispenses karmic punishment according to the corresponding actions of a soul without partiality. However this type of rigid justice could possibly devastate the spiritual advancement of a soul. Hence it is only appropriate to propitiate Lord Anjaneyar on Saturday, as this worship mitigates and subdues the malevolent effects of Saneeswaran. Many devotees unconditionally surrender to the celestial feet of Anjaneyar and perform 'puja' (prayers) on Saturday as a mark of devotion. Devotees offer a betel leave garland or a holy basil garland, and occasionally an unique type of garland known as a 'vadamala' (garland of fried lentil fritters). However Anjaneyar accepts all acts of devotion and blesses with equal benediction. Thus the compassionate blessings of Anjaneyar will definitely soothe the harsh austere retribution of Saneeswaran. 

A pious couple devoted to Anjaneyar have been frequently praying at this temple for many years. Without fail, they come together as a family with their children every Saturday and benevolently pray for Anjaneyar's blessings. Come rain or shine, this family will attend the Saturday puja for Anjaneyar. They would feel immense bliss upon entering this spiritual fortress of Anjaneyar. Their approach to prayers was straightforward, light a 'vilakku' (clay lamp) for Anjaneyar and then proceed to chant Hanuman Chalisa with devotion. They were living in a rented home due to their meagre income and often found it financially challenging when their landlord increased the rent. They repeatedly prayed to Anjaneyar to bless them with their own home, hoping for a permanent solution to their woes. After several months, they managed to find a charming home that they could afford to buy and the bank mortgage was approved without any hassle or delay. On the following Saturday, the family went to the temple and adorned Anjeneyar with a special 'vadamala' prepared by their hands. The couple had been chanting the sacred mantra of Anjaneyar whilst preparing the garland, infusing it with love, joy and spiritual devotion. As they adorned Anjeneyar with the 'vadamala', the couple wept with tears of joy. Wiping their tears, they sat on their knees, silently thanking Anjaneyar for blessing them with a welcoming home. 

                                                                        Sri Anjaneyar

The sanctified presence of Lord Anjaneyar is very much a revelation at this awe inspiring temple. Several devotees have seen an ethereal vision of Lord Anjaneyar meditating in this temple, a potent blessing of Anjaneyar in a celestial dimension. Anjaneyar was attired in a white 'veshti' (draping garment for lower body), had long lustrous hair and a radiant muscular body. The divine vision abruptly ended much to the agony of the fortunate devotees. Once, a devotee from Port Dickson had come to pray at the temple during 'Hanuman Jayanthi (birthday celebration for Lord Anjaneyar). The devotee suddenly became ecstatic with joy to witness Anjaneyar flying above the temple. Lord Anjaneyar was soaring in the clouds above the temple with his mighty mace, vividly moving in circles pouring heavenly blessings to the blessed devotees who had attended the celebration. The sacred vision ended instantly, however the imagery still lingers in the mind of this particular devotee. A lorry driver who stayed at Port Dickson would occasionally attend prayers at the temple, suffered from a massive stroke causing a blood vessel to a rupture in the brain. His family consulted an astrologer and was informed that the lorry driver should pray to Anjaneyar to heal his fragile health condition. After recovering from surgery, he persistently attended 'puja' every Saturday at the Anjaneyar temple and meditated at the temple for an hour. After 3 years of continuous prayers, the lorry driver fully recovered and now leads a healthy life. 

                                                 Sri Anjaneyar attired as Narasimha

                                               

A pious devotee of this temple, Mr.Jeganathan who is currently the temple chairman described his personal mystical experience of the temple in a divine surreal dream. Prior to joining the temple, Mr.Jeganathan used to go fishing out at the sea opposite the temple, often with his fisherman companions. He and his companions would often come back with a bountiful catch and drop anchor on the seashore opposite the temple. Soon after, Mr.Jeganathan had a dream of going to the sea to fish on a boat all by himself. The boat was docked on the beach opposite the temple, and Mr.Jeganathan started strolling towards the temple. Unexpectedly a godlike presence could be perceived from within the confines of the temple. A glowing brightness was emitting from within the temple, and suddenly Mr.Jeganathan saw a looming Anjaneyar gently gazing at him. After momentarily gazing at Anjaneyar, Mr.Jeganathan woke up and felt a divine breeze surging through his body, guiding his consciousness towards higher spiritual realms. Not long after, Mr.Jeganathan became a vegetarian, avoided fishing and decided to perform 'seva' (selfless service) for the benefit of the Port Dickson Anjenayar temple. He dedicated his life and soul towards the wellbeing of the temple.  

                                                       Bronze statue of Sri Anjaneyar

A doting mother whose child had a speech impediment was deeply concerned about the future of her child, the youngest in the family. Due to the speech impediment, the child was often a target of ridicule by his classmates. As a consequence of the bullying, the child did not study well at school. The anxious mother heeded the advice of a spiritual master and began performing prayers to Anjaneyar as a remedy for her son's unfortunate condition. The mother and son would customarily come every Saturday to this sacred temple. Prior to entering the temple, the boy would bathe in the sea opposite the temple, after which he would dress in Indian traditional attire. The mother and child would bring a basket of fruits, 'vennai' (butter) and a betel leave garland. The priest would attentively lay the basket of fruits at the feet of Anjaneyar, elegantly adorn the garland on Anjaneyar and masterfully decorate the lips of Anjaneyar with 'vennai'. The priest would then perform a heartfelt prayer for the wellbeing of the child, deftly offering offering 'arathi' (Indian lamp with flames) towards Anjaneyar. After the prayer, the priest would take the 'vennai' from Anjaneyar's lips and apply it on the child's lips as a treatment for the speech impediment. After several months the child recovered and could communicate without any difficulty. The healing boon of Anjaneyar definitely had a curative effect on the child. 

                                                             'Karungkal' Sri Anjaneyar

A captivating feature of the inner sanctum is an endearing childlike 'karungkal' (granite) statue of Anjenyar who faces the north-west direction. The north-west direction is governed by Vayu the wind deity, who is the spiritual father of Anjaneyar. The airy swirl of the north-west direction is represented by the element of air which enhances divine energy flow. The placement of Anjaneyar's 'karungkal' statue here demolishes negative elements that cloud the minds of devotees and dissipates obstacles that demoralizes the aspiration of devotees. The affectionate ritualistic bathing of 'karungkal' Anjaneyar has amplified the 'shakti' (divine power) in this blessed position. Anjaneyar's benediction has blessed many families with endearing babies, entrepreneurs with flourishing businesses and an eternal peace of mind for earnest seekers. May the glory of Anjaneyar protect us from unseen calamities, provide us with a prosperous future and find solace at this mystical temple.

Contact: 016 7116824 (Temple Treasurer), 010 9793940 (Temple Chairman)

Address: Jalan Pantai, Kampung Baru Sirusa, 71050 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan