Kothi Raj clears weeds from Udupi's Hanuman statue

A famous climber named Jyothi Raj climbed an 82-foot statue of Hanuman at the Prasanna Anjaneya Temple in Hanglur, Kundapur. He did this to remove plants that were growing on the statue. The statue was built in 2005 by a businessman from Mumbai and has become an important spiritual site. Nagaraj Rayappanamata, who leads the Kundapura Devadiga Sangha, said they noticed weeds on the idol. It was important to take them off carefully to avoid damage. Jyothi Raj, also known as Kothi Raj, is known for climbing forts and buildings. He quickly went up the statue and cleaned it. This wasn't the first time Jyothi Raj helped at the temple. He had done similar work in 2019. This time, he had to be careful because there were beehives near the statue's shoulder. Still, he finished his task in about two hours. The statue has attracted more visitors lately. This increase is partly due to YouTubers and vloggers highlighting the statue. Rayappanamata mentioned that after the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, many more devotees are visiting the temple. He also noted that the annual Vardanthi Utsav, held on May 19, includes giving out books to a thousand students as part of the celebrations.