Hanuman Jayanti is a Symbol of Devotion

Hanuman Jayanti:

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in the name of Lord Hanuman, the monkey God, who was very popular in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was the symbol of devotion, magical powers, strength and energy. He was the dedicated disciple of Lord Rama. When Rama was deeply lamenting for Sita, Hanuman searched for her in Sri Lanka and found them in “Ashoka Vanam”. All the Hindu devotees pray to him by reading Hanuman Chalisa and offering pujas in the morning.

Origin Story of Hanuman Jayanti:

Once, Angira, a great saint, went to heaven to meet Indra. Indra welcomed and seated him. Then Punjiksthala, a damsel, presented a dance performance to appease Angira. Angira did not concentrate on the dance and started meditating on his God after the end of the dance. Indra asked about the dance performance by Punjiksthala. He was silent and said I was not interested in the dance, so I was profoundly meditating on my God. His answer disappointed the dancer Punjiksthala, and she showed the rude nature of the saint. Then the saint got furious and cursed her that “you shall degrade to earth from heaven and be born as a female monkey in the mountain forests”. Then she recognised her mistake, regretted it to the saint, and begged him for a solution. Then the saint calmed down, as a merciful saint supported her and said, ‘A great devotee of Paramatma will be born to you and serve another Paramatma” after she was born as a daughter to Kunjar, the king of all monkeys on earth. As an adolescent, she married Kapiraj Kesari of Mount Sumeru and gave birth to Hanuman. Some Hindu scriptures said that the delivery of Hanuman was considered Lord Shiva’s 11th Rudra avatar. So all the Vanara community and humans were happy and celebrated his birthday with great joy by singing and dancing. Since then, the day has been marked as Hanuman Jayanti, which indicated to gain strength and wisdom like him.

Hanuman Jayanti Celebrations:

On the day of Hanuman Jayanti, all the devotees wake up early and do the holy bath. Then they decorate the Hanuman temples with flowers and mango leaves. The devotees apply red tilak to the forehead of the Hanuman idol. All the devotees gather in the temple, sit before Hanuman’s icon, perform puja, and read Hanuman Chalisa.

After the rituals are completed in the temple, the devotees apply red Sindur to their foreheads. The priest offers the Prasadam to God, which is what the devotees bring. People celebrate the day with great enthusiasm and intense devotion. It is a Hindu religious festival, and the rituals celebrate cultural and traditional in Hinduism.

Date of Hanuman Jayanti:

Hanuman Jayanthi celebrates on different days in different regions. Maharastra is celebrated on Purnima in the Hindu Lunar month of Chaitra. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the people celebrate Margazhi month. The Tamilians believe that Lord Hanuman was Crop featured image born on Amavasya in the month of Margazhi. Odisha is celebrated on 1 st day of the Baisakha(April). People celebrate the 10th day of Vaishaka month in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.