Gandi is a small village located in Veerannagattupalle village, amidst the beautiful surroundings, on the banks of Papaghni river near Vempalle in Kadapa District. This is a valley like place formed by the Palakonda hills and is called as Gandi, which in Telugu means ‘a narrow valley with running river’. This small place is popularly known as Gandi Kshetram (region) and is famous for the temple of Lord Hanuman. It is said that Sri Ramakrishna Anandha Swami of Boomanandha Ashram had given the name Gandi Kshetram to this place. The temple of Lord Veera Anjaneya or Hanuman was said to be built by Swami Vasanthaacharyalu, a follower of Sri Madwa cult.
In Gandi Kshetram, the river Papagni, flows from north-east, between the hills and flows out from south of the village towards north. On the right bank of this river, the temple of Veera Anjaneya (Lord Hanuman) is situated.
There is an amazing legend behind the existence of Lord Veera Anjaneya temple in Gandi. The tale goes that, during the period of Ramayana, Sri Vayudeva (the God of Wind) was on meditation in the place where the temple stands today. Lord Sri Rama passed this way while going in search of his consort, Goddess Sita. Lord Vayu requested Sri Rama to stay as his guest and Rama promised that he would accept his hospitality but on his way back to Ayodhya, from Lanka.
When the news of Sri Rama’s victory reached Lord Vayudeva, he decked the place and embellished it. He flung a wreath of golden flowers across the narrow valley through which Lord Rama would pass on his way to Ayodhya. At the earnest request of Sri Vayudeva, Sri Rama halted at this place with his people. Lord Hanuman had then gone to inform Bharatha, brother of Lord Rama, about the return of the Sri Rama. It was then that lord Rama, thinking about his devotee Lord Hanuman, drew the figure of Sri Anjaneya, on a rock, with his arrow. But before he could complete the image, he had to leave for Ayodhya. This picture of Lord Hanuman, which is complete in every way except the little finger of His left hand, can still be seen.
As the days passed, this figure of Lord Anjaneya which Lord Rama drew, was sculptured by Sri Vyasaraja, a great devotee of Lord Hanuman. There is an interesting incident which happened when Vyasaraja was sculpturing the image to complete the figure of Lord Hanuman. When he was sculpturing the little finger, that part broke and blood started oozing out. Thus Vyasaraja understood the true intention of Sri Rama’s devotee. He felt that Lord Hanuman never wanted anyone to alter what was done by Lord Rama. A devotee of Lord Hanuman, Vyasaraja left it as drawn by Lord Rama. It is believed that on a sacred and auspicious day, lord Hanuman was consecrated by Sri Vyasaraja in this kshetra. The stone praakaaram around the sanctum sanctorum is said to have been built by one Tirupathi Seshanna in 1911.
It is believed that the golden flowers arranged in the festoon by Sri Vayudeva for welcoming Lord Rama, can be visible, even today, between the two hills in the valley, by those who have done good deeds in their birth and are relieved from the cycle of birth.
As is mentioned in the chronicles, Sir Thomas Manro, the then District Collector of Kadapa, was one of the blessed to have seen the golden festoon during his visit to Gandi in his last days.
Later, Swami Vasanthacharyalu, an ardent devotee of Lord Hanuman, constructed the temple here. He was later given the title as Udgavi Gandi Acharya. Also, a statue of Acharya was installed by the Kadapa Madwa Sangam in the temple on the right side of the main hall. Even today, the Prasadam (food offered to God) presented to Lord Hanuman, is taken to Swami Vasanthacharyalu and offered to him and then distributed among the public.
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