Prayagraj · Holy places
Bade Hanuman Temple, Prayagraj
The Bade Hanuman temple is a temple near the Sangam with a large image of Hanuman lying down. The district lists it as the Sankatmochan Hanuman temple at Daraganj, on the bank of the Ganga, and says the city also knows it as Lete Hanuman (the reclining Hanuman), Qila (fort) Hanuman and Bandh (dam) Hanuman.
UP Tourism notes that a reclining image of Hanuman is unusual in North India. According to the story the district tells, Hanuman lay down here to rest on his way back from Lanka.
Bade Hanuman temple at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where | Daraganj, on the bank of the Ganga, near the Sangam (district, mela authority, UP Tourism) |
| Deity | Hanuman, in a reclining image believed to face south, to be about 20 feet long and to lie at least 6 feet below the ground |
| Other names | Sankatmochan Hanuman, Lete Hanuman, Qila (fort) Hanuman, Bandh (dam) Hanuman |
| Also in the temple | Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh, Bhairav, Durga, Kali and the Navgrah. The Shri Ram-Janki temples and the Harit Madhava temple are nearby. |
| Timings | No official timings published. Check locally. |
| Busiest times | Main bathing days at the Sangam, which usually draw the most pilgrims |
| Magh Mela 2027 | Expected from 15 January to 6 March 2027, with six main bathing days. Not a Kumbh year. |
| 2027 arrangements | Not announced |
The stories of the reclining Hanuman
The district’s page tells these stories as belief, and we do the same.
Hanuman at rest. It is said that Hanuman, tired on his way back after the victory over Lanka, lay down here on the bank of the Sangam at Sita’s wish, and that the temple was built with this in mind.
The image from the river. Another story tells of an image of Hanuman being carried by boat from Vindhyachal for a king of Kannauj. The boat sank in the river. Years later, when the Ganga fell, the image was found by Baba Balgiri Maharaj. The temple is believed to be at least 600 to 700 years old.
The saint who installed it. It is also said that the saint Samarth Guru Ramdas established the image here, according to the district and the mela authority.
What you see at the temple
The main image is Hanuman lying down. The district says it is believed to face south, to be about 20 feet long and to lie at least 6 feet below the surface of the ground.
Images of Shiva and Parvati, Ganesh, Bhairav, Durga, Kali and the Navgrah are also in the temple. Nearby are the Shri Ram-Janki temples and the Harit Madhava temple.
The temple stands on the riverbank, and in the monsoon the water can reach it. In August 2021 Deccan Herald reported that the rising Ganga and Yamuna had entered the temple. The monsoon falls well outside the Magh Mela season.
The Hanuman temple corridor
- November 2024. IANS reported that the Prayagraj Development Authority’s Hanuman temple corridor was due to be finished by 10 December 2024.
- 13 December 2024. The Prime Minister had darshan here and said a Hanuman corridor was being built for the convenience of devotees, according to the Press Information Bureau. A Ministry of Culture note of 29 December 2024 listed it among the works for the Maha Kumbh.
- 6 July 2026. The Chief Minister inspected the corridor, and the temple’s head mahant, Balveer Giri, said it was in its final phase, the Free Press Journal reported.
We found no official notice that the corridor is finished or of how it changes the way into the temple. Check locally.
Getting there from the Sangam
The temple is near the Sangam, at Daraganj on the bank of the Ganga. The Sangam, about 7 km from Civil Lines, lies below the eastern walls of the fort, which holds the Akshayavat and the Patalpuri temple.
During a mela, vehicles are stopped well before the river around the main bathing days and the last stretch is on foot. In 2025 those rules ran from the day before to the day after each main bathing day. The plan for 2027 has not been published. See how to reach Prayagraj and our Sangam guide.
Bade Hanuman and the Magh Mela 2027
The next big mela at the Sangam is the Magh Mela 2027, expected from Friday 15 January to Saturday 6 March 2027, with six main bathing days. The mela authority has not yet published its list; see the bathing days page.
Temple arrangements for the mela, such as entry routes or timings, have not been announced. Main bathing days usually draw the most pilgrims; follow police and mela instructions on the day.
2027 is not a Kumbh year at Prayagraj. The next Ardh Kumbh is expected in 2031. See all holy places of Prayagraj.
Where it is
- 1Triveni SangamGhat
- 2Akshayavat TempleTemple
- 3Bade Hanuman TempleTemple · This page
- 4Allahabad FortPlace
- 5Mankameshwar TempleTemple
A guide to where places are, not a route plan. During the mela, roads and ghats open and close by the official plan; follow police and mela directions.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Some temple locations from Wikidata (CC0). openstreetmap.org/copyright
Also in this area
Questions people ask
Why is Hanuman lying down in the Prayagraj temple?
According to the story the district tells, Hanuman was tired on his way back from Lanka and lay down here on the bank of the Sangam at Sita’s wish. The temple was built with this in mind.
Is Bade Hanuman the same as Lete Hanuman?
Yes. The district says the Sankatmochan Hanuman temple at Daraganj is known in the city as Bade Hanuman, Lete Hanuman, Qila (fort) Hanuman and Bandh (dam) Hanuman.
Is the Bade Hanuman corridor finished?
On 6 July 2026 the temple’s head mahant said it was in its final phase. We found no official notice that it is finished, so check locally.