Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
Hanuman (Anjaneyar), standing in worship facing Narasimha temple · Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple is a temple of Hanuman, known in Tamil as Anjaneyar, in the town of Namakkal in western Tamil Nadu. Its main image is an 18-foot figure of Hanuman carved from a single stone, which the Namakkal district administration describes as one of the tallest images of Hanuman in India. The image stands under the open sky, without a roof over the sanctum.
Hanuman here stands facing the Lakshmi Narasimha temple at the foot of the Namakkal hill, and the legends of the two temples are linked. The temple follows the Vaikhanasa agama and is administered by the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department, according to the district website and Wikipedia.
Faith & Tradition
Religious Significance of Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
The temple's legend, recorded by Wikipedia and the Tamil Nadu Temples Project, is shared with the nearby Narasimha temple. According to tradition, Lakshmi was performing penance here in the hope of seeing Vishnu in his Narasimha form. Hanuman came by carrying a saligrama (a sacred fossil stone worshipped as Vishnu) and asked her to hold it while he completed his worship. She set it down, and it is believed to have grown into the hill that stands here today. Narasimha then appeared before Lakshmi and Hanuman and made this place his abode.
Tradition holds that the Lord asked Hanuman to remain standing to the west, facing him, which is why the Anjaneyar image faces the Narasimha shrine in a straight line. The Tamil Nadu Temples Project explains the name Namagiri as coming from the mantra Lakshmi chanted during her penance and the hill (giri) that arose. The same source records a local belief that the image has grown slowly over time.
The image is notable for its iconography: Hanuman wears a sword at his waist and holds a garland of saligramas, according to Wikipedia and the Ministry of Tourism's Utsav portal. Because the image is open to the sky, the Tamil Nadu Temples Project notes that he is also called Digambara Anjaneyar. Garlands of vadai (lentil fritters), called vada malai, are a characteristic offering here.
Heritage
History of Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
Sources differ on the age of the temple. The Ministry of Tourism's Utsav portal states that the temple was built by Pandya rulers in the 8th century. The Tamil Nadu Temples Project says the original temple is said to date to the 6th century, contemporaneous with the Narasimha temple, while Wikipedia records a belief that the image has existed since the 5th century. None of these sources cites an inscription, so the date should be treated as traditional.
According to the Tamil Nadu Temples Project, the present structure is a recent renovation carried out within the last few decades; before that the shrine was an open-air temple. Wikipedia notes that the Namakkal district administration lists the temple among the district's prominent tourist attractions, and that a fifteen-day Panguni Uthiram festival is the temple's largest annual event.
Architecture and sacred features
The temple stands at the foot of the Namakkal hill, about 130 m from the Narasimha shrine it faces, according to Wikipedia. It has no gopuram; the Tamil Nadu Temples Project describes the entrance as a tall pillared awning, and Wikipedia describes a flat gateway with a pillared hall leading to the sanctum. The sanctum has no roof, so the 18-foot monolithic image stands open to the sky, with a circumambulatory path behind it lined with images and paintings.
Plan Your Visit
Darshan and Visitor Information
Devotees queue in a single line for darshan; the Tamil Nadu Temples Project notes that there is no paid or priority darshan. Crowds are very large on Hanuman Jayanthi and during Panguni Uthiram. Confirm current timings, offerings and dress expectations with the temple administration (Tamil Nadu HR&CE) before visiting.
Timings and arrangements change with seasons and festivals. Confirm current details with Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department before travelling. Last reviewed 1 November 2026.
Sacred Calendar
Festivals at Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
Hanuman Jayanthi (Anjaneyar Jayanthi)
Celebrated as Hanuman's birth day; the Utsav portal records that lakhs of devotees attend and that the image is adorned with a garland of 1,00,008 vadai.
Panguni Uthiram
A fifteen-day festival, described by Wikipedia as the temple's major festival, when the festival images are taken around the temple streets.
Location
How to Reach Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
The temple is in Namakkal town, on the road from Namakkal towards Salem, according to Wikipedia. The Namakkal district website gives the nearest airports as Salem (about 60 km), Tiruchirappalli (about 90 km) and Coimbatore International (about 160 km).
Location: Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India
Nearest airport: Salem (about 60 km, per the district administration)
More in Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu · Hanuman (Anjaneyar), standing in worship facing Narasimha temples · Temples in Namakkal · Temples in Namakkal Taluk · Temples in Namakkal District
Questions
Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple: Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is the Namakkal Anjaneyar idol?
The image is 18 feet tall and carved from a single stone. The district administration describes it as one of the tallest images of Hanuman in India.
Why does the Namakkal Anjaneyar temple have no roof?
The image stands under the open sky by tradition, which is why he is also called Digambara Anjaneyar; sources do not record a historical reason.
Why does Hanuman face the Narasimha temple at Namakkal?
According to legend, Narasimha appeared here to Lakshmi and Hanuman and asked Hanuman to stand facing him; the image faces the Narasimha shrine about 130 m away.
When is Hanuman Jayanthi celebrated at Namakkal?
On the Moolam star day in the Tamil month of Margazhi (December–January), when the image is decorated with a vadai garland of 1,00,008 vadais.
How old is the Namakkal Anjaneyar temple?
Its date is traditional. The Ministry of Tourism's Utsav portal says the Pandyas built it in the 8th century; other sources say the 5th or 6th century.
Which is the nearest airport to Namakkal?
The district administration lists Salem (about 60 km), Tiruchirappalli (about 90 km) and Coimbatore (about 160 km).
Sources and attribution
- Namakkal District Administration (National Informatics Centre) — Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
- Utsav portal, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India — Anjaneyar Jayanthi – Namakkal
- Wikipedia — Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple
- Tamil Nadu Temples Project (tntemplesproject.in) — Anjaneyar, Namakkal, Namakkal
Further reading: Namakkal Anjaneyar Temple on Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Write to info@hindutone.com — see our editorial policy.
