Hanuman Jayanti is
a Hindu religious festival that celebrates the birth of Hindu God Hanuman,
who is immensely venerated throughout India and Nepal. This festival is
celebrated on different days in different parts of India. In most states of
India, the festival is observed either in Chaitra (usually
on the day of Chaitra Pournimaa) or in Vaishakha,
while in a few states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu,
it is celebrated in Dhanu (called Margazhi in
Tamil).
Lord Hanuman is worshipped as a deity with the
ability to attain victory against evil and provide protection. On this
auspicious day, devotees of Lord Hanuman celebrate him and seek his protection
and blessings. They flock to temples to worship him and present religious
offerings. In return, The devotees receive Prasad by
the temple priests as sweets, flowers, coconuts, tilak, sacred ash (udi)
and Ganga jal (holy water). People also celebrate him on this
day by reciting various devotional hyms and prayers like the Hanuman Chalisa and
reading holy scriptures like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Hanuman Janam-Utsav is an important festival
of the Hindus. Hanuman Janmotsav is also the biggest celebrated festival in
India. Lord Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and is widely
known for his unflinching devotion to Rama. Hanuman is the symbol of strength
and energy. He is said to be able to assume any form at will, wield the gada (including
many celestial weapons), move mountains, dart through the air, seize the
clouds, and equally rival Garuda in the swiftness of flight.
Birth
Lord Hanuman was born on the Anjaneri mountain. His
mother Anjana was an apsara who
was born on earth due
to a curse. She was redeemed from this curse on giving birth to a son.
The Valmiki Ramayana
states that his father Kesari was
the son of Brihaspati, he was the King of a place named Sumeru. Anjana
performed intense prayers lasting 12 long years to Rudra to get a child.
Pleased with their devotion, Rudra granted them the son they sought. Hanuman,
in another interpretation, is the incarnation or reflection of Rudra himself.
Hanuman is often called the son of the
deity Vayu (Wind
God); several different traditions account for the Vayu's role in Hanuman's
birth. One story mentioned in Eknath's Bhavartha
Ramayana (16th century CE) states that when Anjana was worshiping
Rudra, the King Dasharatha of Ayodhya was
also performing the ritual of Putrakama yagna in order to
have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding (payasam)
to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna.
By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a fragment of that pudding and dropped it
while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship. Vayu, the Hindu deity of the
wind, delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who
consumed it. Hanuman was born to her as a result. Another tradition says that
Anjana and her husband Kesari prayed Rudra for a child. By Rudra's direction,
Vayu transferred his male energy to Anjana's womb. Accordingly, Hanuman is
identified as the son of the Vayu
Another story of Hanuman's origins is derived from the Vishnu Purana and Naradeya Purana. Narada, infatuated with a princess, went to his lord Vishnu, to make him look like Vishnu, so that the princess would garland him at swayamvara (husband-choosing ceremony). He asked for hari mukh (Hari is another name of Vishnu, and mukh means face). Vishnu instead bestowed him with the face of a vanara. Unaware of this, Narada went to the princess, who burst into laughter at the sight of his ape-like face before all the king's court. Narada, unable to bear the humiliation, cursed Vishnu, that Vishnu would one day be dependent upon a vanara. Vishnu replied that what he had done was for Narada's own good, as he would have undermined his own powers if he were to enter matrimony. Vishnu also noted that Hari has the dual Sanskrit meaning of vanara. Upon hearing this, Narada repented for cursing Vishnu. But Vishnu told him not to repent as the curse would act as a boon, for it would lead to the birth of Hanuman, an avatar of Rudra, without whose help Rama (Vishnu's avatar) could not kill Ravana.
Worship
The devotees visit temples and apply tilaka of sindoor to their foreheads from Hanuman's idol. As per legend,
When Lord Hanuman found Sri Sita applying sindhūr to her forehead, He
questioned her and she replied that doing so would ensure a long life for her
husband, Lord Sri Rama. Lord Hanuman then proceeded to smear his entire body
with sindhūr, thus ensuring Lord Sri Rama's immortality.
In Tamil Nadu and Kerala,
Hanuman Janmotsav is celebrated on the New Moon day
in Margazhi (Dhanu)
month. Famous Hanuman temples in these states like Nanganallur, Namakkal, Suchindram, Thrikkaviyoor and Alathiyoor celebrate
this day with pomp and valour.
In Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,
Hanuman Janmotsav is celebrated by Diksha of
41 days beginning on Chaitra Purnima and concluding it on the tenth day during
Krishna Paksha in Vaishaka.
In Maharashtra,
Hanuman Janmotsav is celebrated on the full moon day (pūrnima) of the Hindu
lunar month of Chaitra. A special feature of Hanuman Janmotsav is that
according to some religious almanacs (panchāngs) the birthday of Hanuman falls
on the fourteenth day (chaturdashi) in the dark fortnight of the month of
Ashvin while according to others it falls on the full moon day in the bright
fortnight of Chaitra. On this day in a Hanuman temple, spiritual discourses
begin at dawn since Lord Hanuman was born at sunrise. During the time frame of
birth, the spiritual discourse are halted and the offering of food (Prasad) is
distributed to everyone.
On Hanuman Janmotsav sadhaks observe fasts and
carry out special puja, patha and anusthan i.e. Shri Ramcharitmanas akhand
patha, Srimad Bhagavad Gita patha, Srimad Bhagavad Purana patha, Srimad Vishnu
Purana patha and abhishek to Lord Vishnu along with patha of Vishnu
Sahasranama, Ram Nam mantra ashtjam.
Spiritual discourses are organised in most of the Hindu temples on this day. Lord Hanuman is considered as the most powerful being in all the lokas (realms).