TTD's claim on Hanuman's birthplace at Tirumala Hills creates stir in Karnataka

Bengaluru: The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams' claim that Tirumala Hills is the abode of Lord Hanuman and they would release an 'evidence' based book has created a stir in religious and archaeological circles as Hampi near Ballari is considered 'Kishkindha Kshetra' or monkey kingdom for ages.

The TTD had announced on Saturday that an 'evidence' based book to 'prove' that Lord Hanuman was 'born' on one of the seven sacred hills of Tirumala, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateswara, would be released on Ugadi, the Hindu new year.

While archaeology and history scholars have dismissed the TTD's claim, the Karnataka unit of Vishwa Hindu Parishad said that the TTD should take some more time and hold discussions with scholars and religious heads before arriving at any conclusion.

The historians were unanimous that Hampi or the area around the erstwhile capital of Vijayanagara dynasty, is Kishkindha Kshetra.

Not only was Anjanadri at Hampi the birthplace of Anjaneya, prehistoric rock paintings found in the region show people with tails, they claimed.

"There are many cave paintings near Sangamkallu, Belakallu, where the human figures have tail like form.

"That is why it is being argued that 'Vaanara' (meaning men seemingly monkeys) is one of the species of the human race with tails.

Possibly during the time of Treta Yuga and Lord Rama, these were the people who appear to have helped him," Dr Raghavendra Rao Kulkarni, Professor and Head, department of Art History, ChitrakalaParishath, Bengaluru, told PTI.