Pilua Mahaveer Temple, also known as Pilva Mahaveer, is a revered shrine dedicated to Lord Hanuman situated near the village of Ruru on the banks of the Yamuna River, approximately 12 kilometers from the Etawah district center in Uttar Pradesh.
Architecturally, the temple showcases traditional North Indian temple design, featuring intricate carvings and a sanctum that houses the unique idol of Lord Hanuman. The idol is depicted in a reclining posture with an open mouth perpetually filled with water—a distinctive representation not commonly found in other Hanuman temples.
Like many temples, this one is linked to the Ramayana. According to legends, after burning Lanka, Hanuman stopped here to quench his hunger and thirst.
The temple also has a connection to the Mahabharata. During the Pandavas’ exile, Bhima once passed through this path. Hanuman, appearing as an old monkey, stretched his tail across the path and sat there. Full of pride, Bhima asked the monkey to move its tail aside, but the monkey replied that he was too weak to move it himself. Bhima tried to lift it using his immense strength, but he couldn’t move it even slightly. Then, Hanuman revealed his true form and explained that he had done this to humble Bhima’s arrogance.
The temple was built by King Pratap Singh Chauhan. According to legend, Hanuman appeared in his dream and revealed that his idol was beneath a Pilva tree in the nearby forest, asking the king to build a temple for him. When the king found the idol and tried to take it to his capital, it wouldn’t move. Hanuman then appeared in another dream and told him, “I will not leave this place. If you want me to come to your kingdom, you must fill my mouth with all the milk available in your state.” The king attempted this, but Hanuman’s mouth never filled. Accepting defeat, the king built the temple at the same spot. Because the idol was found under a Pilva tree, Hanuman here is known as Pilva Mahaveer.
The queen stepped forward with a laddoo in her hands and offered it to Lord Hanuman with love and devotion. Hanuman ate the laddoo and burped slightly. From that day, it was decided that laddoos would always be offered to Lord Hanuman in this temple.
Even today, the prasad offered to Lord Hanuman disappears once it is placed in his mouth. No one knows where it goes, and it is never found in the river or anywhere near the temple. Some believe that Lord Hanuman is always hungry, waiting for a true devotee to feed him with love.
Another miracle in this temple is that when devotees stand close to Hanuman’s mouth, they claim to hear the sound of “Ram Ram” coming from the idol. Many believe that Lord Hanuman is physically present here, continuously chanting Lord Ram’s name until the end of time.
