On this full
moon day or "poornima" in the Hindu month of Chaitra, we
celebrate Shri Hanuman's birthday especially in temples consecrated
specially to Hanuman. Hanuman is also known as Maruti,
Bajaranga
Bali, Pavana
Putra, Mahvira
and Anjaneya
is the son of the god of wind, Vayu
and Anjani
Devi.
Hanuman is
worshipped for his strength, valor, agility and as a deity with
magical powers as he had the power to assume any form he liked and the
ability to conquer evil spirits. Hanuman is believed to be an "avtaar"
of Shiva.
Saturday is the day of Hanuman, and some people fast on Saturdays
in honor of Hanuman. He was also a "Brahmachari"
or celibate. He was humble, brave, selfless and wise and possessed the
qualities of a great devotee.
Hanuman was an
ardent devotee of Shri Ram. Every temple of Lord Rama has the
"murti" or idol of Shri Hanuman.
In the
Ramayana, India’s second epic written by Valmiki in the 3rd century
BC.
- Hanuman is
the Commander in Chief, of the army of King Sugriva (a Monkey
King). Hanuman
uses his ape like agility to fly over Lanka to find Sita and help
Rama win the war against Ravana.
- During this
same war, Ram's brother Lakshman gets wounded. To save his life, 4
special herbs from the Himalayas are needed. Hanuman offers to
help. Unable to identify the Sanjeevani, a special medicinal herb,
Hanuman flies back from the Himalayas and carving out and bringing
back the entire mountain on the palm of his hand thereby saving
Lakshman's life.
Celebrations
are held in many Hanuman temples all over India and the special verses
from the "Hanuman Chalisa" are recited by many for many to
hear. Known for his strength and his agility this festival becomes
very important to wrestlers and bodybuilders. Many wrestling
games are held on this day. Devotees of Hanuman offer flowers and
fruits to him. They fast all day. Entertainment programes are
organized on this occasion, the "Nautanki" in Uttar Pradesh
and the "Jatra" in Bihar being the most popular. These
dramas represent different aspects of the life of Hanuman, especially
emphasizing his devotional nature and his bravery. Many people
congregate to watch these programes.
For devotional
songs and to read and hear the "Hanuman Chalisa" go to www.Hanuman.com
