01Kishkindha
The Kishkindha Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana is set in the land of the vanaras by the Pampa: the Pampa Sarovar, near which Shri Ram met Shabari and then the vanaras, Rishyamukha hill where Sugriva hid from Vali, and the cave city of Kishkindha. The people of Anegundi and Hampi identify these with the hills and pools around them, and Anjanadri, the hill of Anjana, is held to be Hanuman’s birthplace. Other places claim the birth too, Anjaneri near Nashik among them, and Tirumala’s Anjanadri, which the Tirumala temple declared in 2021; each keeps its own tradition.
02The climb
About 575 whitewashed steps zigzag up between granite boulders to the shrine at the top, where Hanuman’s murti is carved on a rock and Ram and Sita have a shrine beside him. Monkeys line the way. The view from the summit takes in the Tungabhadra, the paddy fields of Anegundi and the ruins of Vijayanagara beyond; sunrise and sunset draw many. Hanuman Jayanti brings devotees from all over Karnataka, and the state has improved the steps and approach.
About 5 km from Anegundi; cross from Hampi by the bridge or the coracle ferry. Climb early; the rocks get hot by noon.
