Jai Hanuman gyan gun sagar,
Jai Kapis tihun lok ujagar
Ram doot atulit bal dhama
Anjaani-putra Pavan sut nama
If you have grown up in a Hindu household, chances are that you have heard these lines several times or have seen someone pray to Lord Hanuman paintings or statues; dedicated to Lord Hanuman, these are the lines from Hanuman Chalisa and are considered very auspicious. Whether you are apprehensive about a new venture or want strength from within or outside, you say these lines and the belief is that Hanuman himself was stand by your side and provide you with strength and willpower.
Lord Hanuman is always recognised as the greatest devotee of Lord Rama, but he is a true god in his own right and there are several people all over the world who pray to the monkey god, every single day.
What Is Hanuman Jayanti? Why Hanuman Jayanti Is Celebrated Twice In A Year?
Hanuman, also known as the monkey god, is not only one of the central characters of the Hindu epic Ramayana, he is also one of the biggest devotees of Lord Rama. This is one of the reasons why Ram Darbar - Lord Ram, Sita, And Laxman along with Lord Hanuman brass idols are always a popular buy at eCraftIndia, especially around the time of any celebration associated with Lord Rama or Hanuman. It is the birthday of Lord Hanuman that is celebrated all over the world, particularly amongst the Hindu people, as Hanuman Jayanti or Hanuman Janmotsav.
Hanuman is the son of the Wind god Vayu and finds mention in several ancient texts such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, because he is considered the symbol of strength, sacrifice and devotion. What is interesting to note is that the day is celebrated twice in the year – this is so because in the southern part of India the day is celebrated on Chaitra Poornima, whereas in the northern part of the country, this day is celebrated on the Krishnapaksh Chaturdashi, in the Karthik month.
What Are The Stories Associated With Hanuman?
Hanuman is perhaps one of the most beloved characters amongst all the Hindu epics, mainly because of his half man, half monkey status and also because of his heroic actions. No matter which aspect of his life you see, you will that there are some interesting stories and legends associated with the same. When you look for a Lord Hanuman statue online, you might not know many of these stories, but here are some of the most interesting and popular legends:
- His birth: As per legends, Hanuman was born to Kesari and Anjana, which is why he is called Kesarinandan as well as Anjaniputra. There is also a legend that says he was the son of Vayu, the god of wind – it is said that Anjana was worshipping Vayu and at the same time, King Dashratha was doing pooja for a son of his own. By divine intervention, a kite took a few drops of the payasam that was meant for Dashratha’s wives and Vayu took it to Anjana. Considering it a sacred blessing from Vayu, Anjana consumed the payasam and gave birth to Hanuman.
- His childhood: An instance from Ramayana goes like this – a young Hanuman was very hungry and was looking for something to eat. He saw the sun rising and thought that it was a delicious ripe fruit. He leapt forward to try to eat it! While one story talks about how the Sun god appeared in front of him, begging him not to eat him, there is another version that talks about how Hanuman was burnt to ashes and the gods gathered the ashes to give him birth, yet again. Another legend related to him is about the time when Hanuman was struck by Lord Indra’s thunderbolt, which hit his jaw, breaking it. Vayu became very upset by the same and took away all the air from the planet, leaving all living things gasping for breath. Eventually, Shiva had to intervene and set things right, including making Indra promise that Hanuman would not be hurt again. Indra granted him the strength of his Vajra, Agni blessed him with resistance against fire, Varuna granted him protection against harm from water and Vishnu gifted him a gada, rendering him an immortal. When you buy a Lord Hanuman idol for home, you are actually inviting all these powers into your home as well.
- From Ramayana: Some of the most legendary tales related to Lord Hanuman come from his adulthood, especially when he met his Lord Rama. The legends of Hanuman’s devotion have been passed down through the generations and that is why, at eCraftIndia, we celebrate that love and devotion in the form of Lord Ram hugging Lord Hanuman decorative statue. Hanuman went to great lengths to help Sri Rama, right from taking his message all the way to Lanka to Sita and bringing an entire mountain to help treat Laxman. His devotion earned him the blessing from Lord Rama that he would live on, even after the universe had been destroyed.
- From Mahabharata: Even though Hanuman is a prominent character in Ramayana, he has a story in Mahabharata too. Once, he comes across Bhima, who boasts of his strength. An aged Hanuman decides to teach him a lesson and says that Bhima can pass the path, by simply removing his tail from the way. When Bhima is unable to remove the tail, he understands the folly and apologises.
How Do You Celebrate Hanuman Jayanti?
Even though there is no records about the exact birth date of Lord Hanuman, the Hindu calendar specifies certain dates as Hanuman Jayanti and those are celebrated with great aplomb. People head to temples dedicated to him and pray for protection, strength, and blessings. People offer flowers and sindoor and in return, they will receive prasadam in the form of sweets, coconuts, kumkum, or vibhuti. On this day, several temples will have sessions of religious discourses, where excerpts from scriptures, where there are mentioned of Hanuman are there, are read. Certain temples will have continuous readings of Hanuman Chalisa. Several temples will provide free food to all and many people will sponsor food for the underprivileged.
Legend has it that Hanuman once asked Sita why she put sindoor, to which she answered that it was to ensure the long life of her husband, Lord Rama. Inspired by her, he decided that he too would wear sindoor to ensure the long life of Rama, which is why sindoor is used to worship Hanuman.
How To Do Pooja On Hanuman Jayanti? What To Offer For Hanuman Jayanti?
If you are planning to do Hanuman Jayanti puja at home, then you need to make sure that you clean out the entire house first and purify the pooja space with ganga jal. Wake up early in the morning and take a bath, before lighting a lamp before a painting or idol of Lord Hanuman. You can buy brass diyas online for the same at eCraftIndia. After some time meditating, you can read Hanuman Chalisa or other religious scriptures such as Ramayana.
In case you are planning to fast, it has to start at sunrise and be opened only at sunset. Since Hanuman was fond of fruits and sweets, you too are allowed to eat the same.
When you are planning to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti, you can come shop at eCraftIndia – choose from a wide range of beautiful paintings or maybe you can pick a Lord Panchmukhi Hanuman idol to deck up your pooja room.