Mount Gandhamadana: Where Lord Hanuman Resides

Lord Hanuman is considered an ideal of force, power, energy, wisdom, service and devotion to God in Hinduism. He is believed to reside in Gandhamadana mountain near the Rameshwaram Dham in Kalyuga.

Bhima trying to lift Hanuman's tail; Source - Google images

Lord Hanuman is considered Chiranjeevi, someone who lives through all four yugas. He appears in the Ramayana as well as the Mahabharata and is considered to have his presence in the Kalyuga. It is believed that he left his mortal form on Rama's orders and began residing in the jungle. This jungle is situated on Mount Gandhamadana, near Tamil Nadu.

In an episode of Ramayana, when Ravana hurled an arrow at Laxman during the war, the vanara physician Sushena examined him and declared that Lakshmana could still be saved with the magical herb called Vishalya Karani, or Sanjeevani, that grows on Mount Gandhamadana. Stepping out of the crowd, Hanuman promised to bring the life-saving herb. After receiving Rama’s blessings, Hanuman increased his size and then, with one leap, rose high into the sky. Mount Gandhamadana, also called Dronagiri is where Hanuman started his journey to Lanka. While preparing to attack Lanka, all the animals and Hanuman camped there to form the vanara sena.

In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas resided in Gandhamadana for some time. It was here that Bhima met a sleeping Hanuman and was humbled when he couldn't lift his tail.

This mountain has another significance- it houses many Gandharvas, Kinnaras and Kimpurushas along with their consorts. It is even believed that many great divine personalities like Dhruva, Markandey and Bhakt Prahalad meditated here. Siddhas and Sants have meditated on this great mountain and chanted mantras in praise of Lord Shiva. It is said to be ruled by the god of wealth, Kubera.

The bewitchingly scented mountain is surrounded by natural greenery on which the most diverse herbs grow. It is situated on the Pamban island which lies in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka.

The mythical mount Gandhamadana lies beside Lake Manasarovar, which lies at the foot of Mount Kailash. It is believed that only those who have gathered a high level of tapas through meditation can climb this mountain to reach Kailash. In recent times, many efforts have been made to locate this mountain but all in vain. However, it is always said Hanuman resides in all those places where Ram’s glory is being sung. Whenever the mantra of Hanuman is chanted, it is said He manifests in those places to grant His darshan to devotees and fulfill their prayers.

At the Gandhamadhana teertham is a temple where Lord Rama’s foot imprints are found. It is the place where Shri Ram stopped on his way to Sri Lanka to get a glimpse of his rival’s territory Sri Lanka. With so many stories and mesmerizing views to offer, Mount Gandhamadana rekindles your spirit in faith and devotion. On your visit to Rameshwaram, it is surely recommended to visit this beautiful hill, experiencing its natural as well as mythological beauty.

Mount Gandhamadana - Lord Hanuman took flight from here; Source - Google images