When digital payments have become the order of the day, a popular temple in the district has introduced a digital offering mechanism for Hanuman devotees.
Thanks to Union Bank of India, the Sree Alathiyur Hanuman Temple at Alathiyur, near Tirur, has gone digital in its offerings.
Famous for fulfilling the wishes of its devotees, the temple had offerings from a wide variety of celebrities in the past, including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and former U.S. President Barak Obama.
Union Bank of India zonal head Renu K. Nair inaugurated the digital offering system using the quick response (QR) code developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Ms. Nair said that devotees could make their offerings using any payment app. Moreover, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) can also be used to make offerings.
The Hanuman temple is administered by a trust under the Malabar Devaswom Board with the Zamorin of Kozhikode as the Chief Trustee. Trustees of Zamorin family Govind Chandrasekhar and Maya Govind, Malabar Devaswom Board executive officer Sunil K., Union Bank of India regional head A.C. Usha, branch manager Kamalakshi C., deputy regional heads Sangamesh and Sandeep T.V. attended the function.
Although the main deity at this temple is Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, it is known for Hanuman and his powers. Both Rama and Hanuman have equal importance in this temple, which have sub-deities like Lakshmana, Ganesha, Maha Vishnu, Durga, Bhadrakali, Ayyappan, and Naga.
The legend has it that the idol of Hanuman was consecrated 3,000 years ago by Sage Vasishtha, one of the Saptarishis. Rice flakes are the main offering here. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays are important here as they are considered auspicious for Hanuman.
