At dawn the next day Visvamitra said to Rama, "Beloved son of Kausalya, O! Rama, wake up, it is dawn and time for the morning worship and oblations to the gods." The princes rose, bathed in the waters of the Sarayu, offered oblations to the Sun god and chanted the holy Gayatri mantra after which they continued on their journey. Soon they arrived at the confluence of the holy rivers Sarayu and Ganga, which then divided into three paths. Here they came upon the sacred hermitage of Anchorites, who had after observing the most awesome of austerities for many thousands of years had become the supreme possessors of vital powers. The beautiful sight of the hermitage delighted the princes and aroused their interest. They asked the sage as to whom the hermitage belonged and who dwelt there.Smiling gently Visvamitra said, "In the days of yore, this belonged to Manmatha, god of love, who at one time lived here in human form. He dared to distract Siva who was in deep meditation along with the Maruths. Enraged at this sacrilege Siva let out a fearful roar and opened his eyes. His anger blazing out of his third eye like an inferno consumed Manmatha, burning him limb by limb, until he became one with space. Devoid of a form he came to be known as Ananga and the beautiful place where he gave up his body came to be known as the land of Ananga. This holiest of holy places belonged to Siva and these ascetics are descendants of his disciples who live their lives in bliss and piety". Visamitra told Rama that they would all spend the night at this hermitage which lay between the two holy rivers, Sarayu and Ganga. They were to perform ablutions at dawn, in the river Ganga followed by oblations with clarified butter as part of the purifying ritual and then enter the hermitage. While Visvamitra was conversing with Rama and Lakshmana the holy men of that hallowed sanctuary sensed their presence. With their all pervading spiritual vision reaching beyond the veil of time, they recognized their noble guests. Immensely pleased, they respectfully offered them water to wash their feet. Hospitality was extended first to Visvamitra and thereafter to Rama and Lakshamana whose grace and reverence pleased the noble souls. At dusk, the hermitage reverberated with Vedic chants. In that famed hermitage, where Kama was destroyed, the three travelers spent the night while Visvamitra regaled the princes with enchanting tales.