Rishimukha Flashback — S1/E2: Hanuman’s Birthplace Has a Back Route
Hanuman’s birthplace has a back route. Did you know?
Most visitors reach the temple at the top of Anjanadri Hill, near Hampi, by climbing 575 steep steps. During the December tourist season, the main route was packed with tourists.
But our ASI guide knew another way.
The back route to Anjanadri Hill
He took us on a back route, a second set of steps that was almost completely empty. Then the steps ended in rocks that we had to cross.
From there, we had to cross a crevice and climb over the rocks. In places, it felt like a small adventure course. Even a monkey was navigating the same route.
The monkey and the tourist
I was amazed to find a tourist waiting patiently for a monkey to get off his shoulder. The monkey was happily sitting on him for several minutes. This is Nambikke: knowledge learned by living with a place.
The monkeys are not simply part of the scenery. They live on the hill, move through the trees and rocks, and treat the temple and its visitors as part of their everyday landscape.
Kishkindha in the present
This is Kishkindha—the monkey kingdom of the Ramayana. Standing here, the story feels less like distant mythology and more like a living landscape.
I first climbed Anjanadri Hill alone in April 2025 and photographed the temple at the top. This time, in December, the crowd was so large that getting close was almost impossible.
Our ASI guide knew what to do. He knew every turn, every rock, and the way through. That kind of lived knowledge is Nambikke.
Hanuman’s birthplace is still here—and the climb is only part of the story.
Watch the reel
Part of the Rishimukha Flashback Series — S1/E2.
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