Anjaneya Temple In Jamshedpur Offers Unique Vadamala Prasad

By Jitendra Kumar

Jamshedpur: At Jharkhand's industrial centre Jamshedpur, there is a temple that upholds a unique South Indian tradition. Lord Hanuman or Bajrangbali, who is worshipped here, is offered as ‘prasad’ a 'vadamala' — a garland made with urad dal vadas.

Located in Bistupur area of ​​the steel city, this temple is known as 'Dharmashasta Ayyappa Temple' or Anjaneya Temple. It is built on the lines of the famous Ayyappa temples of Kerala. You get a glimpse of Kerala's temples right at the entrance.

Established in 1977, Tamil-speaking people are especially associated with this temple. On entering, the first deity you see is of Lord Ganesha, followed by others. Here, pandits, who have studied Vedas and other scriptures for 8-10 years, perform morning and evening puja rituals and aarti.

Within the premises is a temple of Bajrangbali, which is called 'Anjaneya Mandir'. This is where the garland prasad is offered to Lord Hanuman twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It is believed that by offering the vadamala, wishes are fulfilled and happiness and peace are maintained in the house.

While across South India, both urad and chana dals are popular for making vadas, in the Ayyappa temple, vadas are only made with urad dal for the garlands, as the devout believe Lord Bajrangbali loves urad dal vadas. It's a tradition popular in parts of Kerala, Karnataka and Chennai. It is believed that offering this prasad not only fulfils the wishes, but also removes the obstacles in life.

The tradition of offering vadamala is linked to a mythological story popular across parts of South India. It is believed that this prasad not only frees the devout from bad planetary influences, but also fulfils their wishes and brings them happiness and peace.

The practice of offering vadamala in Hanuman temples is popular across South India, especially in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The mala is made by threading the urad dal vadas with coconut coir threads, and offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays, as these days are considered special for the worship of Lord Hanuman. After the puja, the mala is distributed among devotees, who take it back home as prasad.

For the vadas, the cooks soak and grind urad dal under the supervision of temple priests within its premises. There are 54 urad dal vadas in each garland. During the puja, the priest decorates the vadamala in a plate and keeps it before the deity of Lord Hanuman. The Hanuman Chalisa is recited in chorus as it garlanded around the deity.

After the puja rituals, the priest performs the aarti by pronouncing the names of the devotees, after which, the vadamala is disbursed among the devotees.

Ayyappa Temple Committee president N Ramamurthy explains, “Bajrangbali is a special Lord for us. Vadamala is offered as prasad before starting any auspicious work or after the fulfilment of wishes. It is quite common in South India that devotees consider it a 'powerful mala' and say that they have complete faith in it.

Nagraj, who has been associated with the temple for years, said it is customary to offer vadamala at the temple, adding that he has himself experienced a calming down of the mind by the offering. It is customary not to cut the garland or rope after the puja.

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