Hanuman Jayanti

2021-06-05T03:21:03Z

2401:4900:4DD0:52CE:533C:C2EA:98E:F4CA: /* Spiritual Teacher */Story added for self promotion. No validations.

{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox holiday
| type = Hindu
| longtype = Religious
| image = A Hanuman temple at Haridwar.jpg
| image_alt =
| caption = A Hanuman temple at Haridwar.
|official_name =
|nickname =
|observedby = [[Hindu]]s
|begins = [[Chaitra]] [[Purnima (day)|Purnima]]
|ends = Chaitra Purnima
|month = April
|date2021 = The Purnima tithi begins in India at 12:44 on Monday Apr 26, 2021, and ends at 09:01 on Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
|celebrations = 1 day
|observances =
|relatedto =
|frequency= annual
}}
{{Hinduism}}
'''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]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.templepurohit.com/festival/hanuman-janmotsav/|title=Hanuman Janam-Utsav 2017 - Hindu Festivals & Calendar {{!}} TemplePurohit|work=TemplePurohit - Your Spiritual Destination {{!}} Bhakti, Shraddha Aur Ashirwad|access-date=2017-12-16|language=en-US}}</ref> In most states of India, the festival is observed either in [[Chaitra]] (usually on the day of ''Chaitra Pournimaa'') or in [[Vaisakha|Vaishakha]], while in a few states like [[Kerala]] and [[Tamil Nadu]], it is celebrated in [[Dhanu (month)|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]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-04-19|title=Hanuman Janmotsav 2019: How to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti|url=https://english.newstracklive.com/news/hanuman-jayanti-2019-how-to-celebrate-hanuman-jayanti-sc-nu-1007263-1.html|access-date=2020-08-06|website=News Track|language=en}}</ref>

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 (weapon)|gada]] (including many celestial weapons), move mountains, dart through the air, seize the clouds, and equally rival [[Garuda]] in the swiftness of flight.

==Birth==
[[File:Anjani with Child Hanuman - Bronze - Pallava Period - ACCN 15-524 - Government Museum - Mathura 2013-02-24 6603.JPG|thumbnail|right|Anjani (Anjana) with Child Hanuman - Bronze, [[Pallava]] Period, [[Mathura]], India]]
Lord Hanuman was born on the Anjaneri mountain. His mother [[Añjanā|Anjana]] was an [[apsara]] who was born on [[bhuloka|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 (Ramayana)|Kesari]] was the son of [[Brihaspati]], he was the King of a place named Sumeru.<ref name=Puranas>[https://books.google.com/books?id=nmmkM0fVS-cC&dq=bibliogroup:%22Encyclopaedic+Dictionary+of+Pur%C4%81%E1%B9%87as%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Puranas: (A-C) ; 2.(D-H) ; 3.(I-L) ; 4.(M-R) ; 5.(S-Z)], pp=628-631, Swami Parmeshwaranand, Sarup & Sons, 2001, {{ISBN|81-7625-226-3}}, {{ISBN|978-81-7625-226-3}}</ref> 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.<ref>Sri Ramakrishna Math (1985) "Hanuman Chalisa" p. 5</ref> 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 [[Putrakameshti|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 (Ramayana)|Bharata]], and [[Shatrughna]]. By divine ordinance, a [[Kite (bird)|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.<ref name=Puranas/><ref>Sri Ramakrishna Math (1985) "Hanuman Chalisa" pp. 5-6</ref> 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 for Monkey (Vanara) & also that of Vishnu, and ''mukh'' means face). Vishnu thus 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.

== Spiritual Teacher ==
According to Hindu mythology, Surya Dev is considered to be the Guru of Hanuman ji,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-01|title=कौन थे बजरंगबली के गुरु ?|url=https://www.punjabkesari.in/dharm/news/who-was-the-of-bajrangbali-928421|access-date=2021-04-26|website=punjabkesari}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Krithika .r|date=2016-03-10|title=Soaring towards the sun|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/kids/a-story-about-hanuman-the-monkey-god/article8336448.ece|access-date=2021-04-26|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Worship ==
[[File:Madurai Meenakshi temple prayer.jpg|thumb|left|A woman praying to Hanuman, the monkey god at [[Meenakshi Amman Temple]] in [[Madurai]], India]] 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)|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.

<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vamtantra.com/hanuman-jayanti/|title=Hanuman Janmotsav Puja To Make Lord Hanuman Happy|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-02}}</ref>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 [[loka]]s (realms).

== See also ==
*[[Lord Rama]]
*[[Hanuman]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Hanuman Jayanti}}
{{Sindhi festivals}}
{{HinduFestivals}}

[[Category:Festivals in India]]
[[Category:January observances]] 
[[Category:March observances]]
[[Category:April observances]]
[[Category:Hindu holy days]]
[[Category:Hindu festivals in India]]
[[Category:Hanuman]]

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Hanuman Jayanti