Shree Rajabaksha Hanuman Temple Tibi Ward, Nagpur City, Nagpur

There are many Hanuman temples in the city of Nagpur. Legends associated with them are also prevalent according to their names. There are temples of various names here, such as Panchamukhi Maruti at Nandanvan, Dunda Maruti near Besa village, Kala Hanuman and Pashchim Mukhi Maruti located in the Mahal area of Nagpur, and Pakshika Maruti in Sonegaon. Among all these, the Rajabaksha Hanuman Temple, which is a famous and awakened site, is considered a place of deep faith for the devotees here. The procession that departs from this temple on the day of Hanuman Jayanti, accompanied by lakhs of devotees and featuring fifty to sixty floats, is a major attraction in the city of Nagpur.

The Rajabaksha Hanuman Temple is situated to the right of the Government Medical College in the city of Nagpur, near the TB Ward. This temple is more than ๔०० years old. It is said that on the day of Vijayadashami, King Raghuji Bhonsle (the Elder) used to cross the Nag River with his royal entourage to seek the blessings of Rajabaksha Hanuman as part of the Seemollanghan tradition. The temple gained greater prominence during the reign of the Bhonsles, and it was during this period that its significance grew.

The legend of the Rajabaksha Temple states that King Raghuji Bhonsle was sent to Nagpur by the Gond King Chand Sultan to collect tribute. When Bhonsle arrived at Sonegaon, he met a sage who expressed his desire to accompany him to the King. Bhonsle accepted the sage’s request and asked him to join, but the sage imposed a condition that Bhonsle must not look back while walking. Bhonsle agreed to this, and they began their journey with Bhonsle in front and the sage following behind. During the journey, Bhonsle became thirsty. For that, at the place where today They stopped where the temple is located. At that time, a saint named Rajabaksha was residing in a hut there. Bhosle asked him for water to quench his thirst, and inadvertently turned his head back to see if the sadhu was following him. At that very moment, both the sadhu who was following him and the saint Rajabaksha disappeared. When Bhosle looked into the hut, he saw an idol of Hanuman where the saint had been sitting; this is the very same Rajabaksha Hanuman of today.

Shri Ram was the presiding deity of the Bhonsle kings. Recognizing that Hanuman, the supreme devotee of Rama, was personally with them, the Bhonsles built a temple around this idol. Over time, they entrusted the maintenance of this temple to Parvatrao Gujar. The Gujars sold the land they owned at that time and used the proceeds to reconstruct the temple, building a grand structure here. Since then, the maintenance and management of this temple have remained with the Gujar family to this day.

The Rajabaksha Hanuman Temple is structured with a main assembly hall (Sabhamandap) and a sanctum sanctorum (Garbhagriha). The assembly hall here is spacious, and during its construction, an existing tree was preserved and the hall was built around it. Consequently, the ancient tree can still be seen in the center of the assembly hall today. The sanctum sanctorum is situated at a slight elevation and houses a self-manifested (Swayambhu) idol of Rajabaksha Hanuman, which is approximately five to six feet tall. A unique feature of this temple is that the idol of Hanuman here is visible only up to the knees. Such an idol is not found anywhere else. Every Saturday, thousands of devotees visit this place for the darshan of Hanuman. Apart from this, various religious programs are organized here during the month of Shravan. On these occasions, Mahaprasad is provided to the visiting devotees by the Gujar family.

Just as the Shobhayatra taken out on the day of Ram Navami from the Poddareshwar Ram Mandir in the city of Nagpur is famous, similarly, the Shobhayatra taken out on Hanuman Jayanti from the Rajabaksha Hanuman Mandir in the presence of lakhs of devotees is also a major attraction here. This Shobhayatra is accompanied by 50 to 60 floats based on traditional attire, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and other mythological as well as social themes. The entire area resonates with the chants of Hanuman. Starting from the Rajabaksha Hanuman Mandir grounds, this Shobhayatra passes through Rambagh, Untkhana, Hanuman Mandir Chowk, Chandannagar, Hanuman Nagar, Krida Chowk, Smruti Mandir Reshimbagh, Tiranga Chowk, Ganeshnagar, Gurudevnagar, Sakkardara Chowk, Raghujinagar, Chhota Tajbagh, Ayodhyanagar, Dattatrayanagar, Hanuman Mandir Chowk, Vanjarinagar, and TB Ward, before returning to the Rajabaksha Hanuman Mandir. Thousands of devotees wait at various places to welcome this Shobhayatra. Flowers are showered upon the floats in the procession from many buildings. On this route, Mahaprasad is organized by various organizations on this occasion.

Located about two kilometers from the Rajabaksha Temple is the Raman Science Centre, considered an ornament of Nagpur. This center was established in the year ۱۹۸۷ on a sixteen-acre site to foster scientific awareness and a scientific temper within society. Among the twenty-seven science centers across the country, the Raman Science Centre holds a significant position. On the fifth of January, ۱۹۹۷, the planetarium within this science center was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister, P. V. Narasimha Rao. At that time, Narasimha Rao had been elected as a Member of Parliament from the Ramtek constituency in Nagpur. Narasimha Rao had made special efforts to ensure that Vidarbha would have such a science center. The management of this Raman Science Centre is overseen by the Nehru Science Centre in Mumbai. The Nobel laureate scientist C. V. Raman resided in Nagpur for some time. In his memory, this center has been named after him.

Sacred History & Spiritual Significance

This sacred temple stands as a testament to deep spiritual devotion, ancient architectural grandeur, and rich local cultural traditions.

Temple Sanctum & Architecture

The sanctum sanctorum houses the divine idol consecrated according to ancient Vedic traditions, surrounded by serene courtyards and traditional temple architecture.

Sacred Darshan Gallery