Hanuman ji Temple at Bhatli, Bargarh, Odisha

The Five-faced Monkey God or Panchamukhi Hanuman is a form of Lord Hanuman, the Hindu God, who is believed to have been present even today as He is immortal. 

Lord Hanuman assumed this form to kill Ahi-Ravana, a powerful demon black-magician and practitioner of the dark arts during the Ramayana war. Ahi-Ravana had taken Lord Rama and Lakshmana in his captivity. There was no clue and the only way to kill him was to extinguish five lamps burning in different directions, all at the same time. Hanuman assumed His Panchamukha form and accomplished the task, thus killing the rakshasa, and freeing Rama and Lakshmana.

The five faces of Panchamukha Hanuman are those of Sri Hayagriva, Sri Narasimha, Sri Garuda, Sri Varaha and Hanuman Himself.

The statue in the picture is of Hanuman ji at the outskirt of Bhatli in the Bargarh District of Odisha, India. (Photo by Himanshu)

The details of Panchamukhi Hanuman are:-

1. East facing Hanuman to grant humanity isthta siddhi.

2. South facing Narasimha to grant humanity abhista siddhi.

3. West facing Garuda to grant humanity sakalla sowbhagya

4. North facing Varaha to grant humanity dhana prapthi, and

5. Hayagriva on top to grant humanity sarva vidya jaya prapthi.

This form of Hanuman is very popular, and is also known as Panchamukhi Anjaneya and Panchamukhi Anjaneya. (Anjaneya, which means "son of Anjana", is another name of Hanuman).