Hanuman has been a benevolent figure in all our lives and as ethereal as the open sky. However, there lies a deeper layer that we uncover with this issue; one that will take you around our city, and present the darker side of the son of Vayu.
The story of Hanuman has been told and retold many times; most of us know it like the back of our hands. The celestial monkey-god has been in some of the most crucial junctures in one of the most prominent scriptures of Hinduism- the Ramayana and has been equally revered in all cultures that trace its roots to Sanskrit. The impact of his worship and reverence can be seen as far as Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean, where the largest statue of Hanuman stands at a staggering 85 feet. Our perception of this demi-god is based on tales we have heard and read in books growing up. Hanuman has been the embodiment of loyalty, strength and sacrifice, not to mention the Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most popular mantras. The protector, he has been portrayed in many forms; some have etched themselves into our psyche others have been forgotten with time.
It is necessary that we first explain where the whole lineage and the backdrop from where this hunt stems from. As the Ramayana explains, whilst in the throes of war in Lanka, Ravana asked his brother Mahiravana (the King of the Netherworld) to capture Rama and Laxman. Mahiravana through his psychic powers was able to do so with ease and took them down to the Netherworld as prisoners. Hanuman naturally went to the rescue and was met by Mahiravana in his magical form and was then presented with five lights to blow at the same time if he wanted to see the sons of Dashratha ever again. This is where Hanuman takes the form of Panchamukhi Hanuman, which is considered to be his most ‘rudra’ or near-demonic form. He blows out all the five candles present in the four directions as well as one above.
This is the first ever description of Hanuman’s fiercest form in the scriptures and while it only makes a small cameo in this story, we slowly learn how it has seeped far deeper than we could have imagined in Nepal and is present from small shrines, to granite statues guarding a museum, to residing in a temple that is only the second of its kind anywhere in the world. This is a chronicle of how a simple search for the Hanu-Bhairava, brought forth the legacy of the Panchamukhi Hanuman.
The Panchamukhi Hanuman as the name explains has five heads and ten arms. The first head is the central and normal face of Hanuman. The Second is that of the Vishnu’s ‘vahana’ the Garud. The third is that of the Narsimha (one of Vishnu’s avatar, half man- half lion). The fourth is of Hayagriva and is a human face. The last one is that of Baraha (boar).
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