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Hanuman Jayanthi
December 11, 2018
Birthday of Hanuman
On Hanuman Jayanthi, Hindus celebrate the birthday of Lord Hanuman, the monkey god who helped Lord Rama defeat the demon, Ravana, and rescue his wife, Sita from his clutches. Hanuman represents unflinching devotion and strength.
As a child, Hanuman was very mischievous. Once, he saw the sun and mistook it for a ripe mango. He flew up to catch it but ran into Rahu who was also speeding towards the sun to swallow it. Hanuman thrashed Rahu and Rahu promised not to harm Hanuman’s devotees if they made offerings of savory dumplings or ‘vadamalas’. Rahu can cause great problems to people if it is afflicted in their natal charts. But if the devotee offers a vadamala at a Hanuman temple, the negative effects can be mitigated. The vadamala is made of black gram which is the main offering to Rahu. But in north India, people offer sweets like ‘laddoos’ and ‘jangiris’ to the deity on the occasion of Hanuman Jayanthi.
How Do Devotees Celebrate Hanuman Jayanthi
On the day of Hanuman Jayanthi, devotees recite the Hanuman Chalisa as part of the rituals. The Hanuman Chalisa is a hymn to Hanuman. The word ‘chalisa’ comes from the Hindi word ‘chalis’ meaning ‘forty’. The hymn consists of 40 verses that praise Hanuman, hence the name. Many Hindus can recite it from memory. It was composed by Tulsidas, a 16th century poet, also the author of Ramcharitamanas. It is believed that reciting the Hanuman Chalisa regularly can help remove obstacles, solve problems and overcome evil forces. Those who are weak and timid in temperament are advised to chant it as it can give them strength and courage, two traits that are associated with Hanuman.
Hanuman Jayanthi, like many religious festivals, is a time for fasting. Some special foods are eaten on this day. They include wheat crackers, ‘milagu vadai’ and ‘paruthitharai vadai’. For ‘nivedyam’, one can offer a milagu vada garland (of 108 vadais), betel leaf garlands, and butter. Other items include ‘poha’, sugar, honey, ‘panakam’ and ‘neermor’.
How Hanuman Got His Name
Hanuman is considered as a ‘brahmachari’ (sworn bachelor) but not many people know that he had a son called Makardhwaja whose mother was a big fish. After setting Lanka on fire, Hanuman dipped his tail in the sea to cool it. The fish swallowed the sweat on his tail and conceived his son. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama is the stuff of legend. His devotion was such that he was ready to fight Yama from claiming Rama’s life when it was time for Rama to die. So Rama told Hanuman that his ring had fallen down and asked him to look for it. While he was busy looking for it, Yama spirited Rama away to Vaikuntha. Hanu means ‘jaw’ and man means ‘disfigured’ in Sanskrit. Hanuman’s jaw was disfigured when Indra threw his Vajra weapon at him when he tried to swallow the sun as a precocious kid. The impact was such that Hanuman fell back on earth and his jaw was disfigured forever.
Apart from the Hanuman Chalisa, there are many powerful mantras that you can chant for various benefits. Some of them are given below. If chanted properly, they can change your life in remarkable ways.
Hanuman Moola mantra
Om Hanumate Namah (removes obstacles and solves problems).
This is a very powerful mantra to attain your objectives.
Hanuman Beeja mantra
Om aeem bhreem hanumate
Shree ram dootaya namah
By chanting this mantra regularly, you can please hanuman and receive his blessings.
Hanuman Gayathri mantra
Om anjenayaya vidmahe vayuputraya dhimahi
Tanno hanumat prachodayat
Chant this to get energy and protection from all kinds of danger. It will help you harness Hanuman’s remarkable qualities of strength and knowledge.
Anjaneya mantra
Om shree vajradehaya ramabhaktaya vayuputraya namosthuthe
This mantra is for new or better jobs, success in exams, etc. Chant this mantra 11 times in the mornings.
Hanuman mantra
Hang hanumate rudratmakaay hung phatt
This mantra has great power and brings instant results.
