Hanuman
Lord Hanuman was born as the son of Vanar raj (king) Kesari (father) and Anjani (mother). He belonged to the monkey (vanar) race and was very powerful.
He is also known as Bajarang Bali. It consists of two words: Bajarang and Bali. Bajarang means with a strong iron-like body. Bali means all powerful.
Other names of Lord Hanuman are Pavan-Putra (meaning son of Vayu or wind), Maruti, Kesari-nandana (son of Kesari), Anjani-putra and Anjaneya (son of Anjani).
Lord Hanuman is the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva took birth in the form of Hanuman to serve Lord Rama and destroy Ravan, the demon king of Lanka.
Lord Hanuman was very strong, intelligent and kind to all the living beings. He was a worshipper and devotee of Lord Rama. He believed in devotion and sacrifice.
Lord Hanuman’s birthday (Hanuman Jayanti) is on the full moon day (paurnima) of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra.
The ideal devotee of Shri Rama and the God of Strength from Ramayan; one of the few Chiranjeevis (who do not die).
There is no village or town in Bharat without a temple dedicated to Hanuman. An unforgettable character in the great epic, the Ramayan, he has become a symbol of courage, loyalty and mature wisdom.
Men and women, the young and the old, people of all ages and of all professions worship Hanuman.
Students pray to him for intelligence and soldiers for strength. In olden days there used to be temples of Hanuman at the gates of forts. The gymnasiums of wrestlers invariably have his picture.
Every human being has good qualities and bad qualities. Our ancestors have taught that every one should develop his/her good qualities and go nearer God. Divinity is only being full of noble qualities. In our country some men and women have later come to be honored as divine beings, winning the reverence, the devotion and the love of the common people. Hanuman is one such great soul.
According to legend, Hanuman is the son of the Wind God. Air sustains all living beings. One can exist without food, spend days without water; but it is impossible to exist even for a short time without air. Air is life. Therefore, Hanuman is also called ‘Pranadeva’ or the God of Life.
Hanuman was a master of music. He was also an expert in dance and drama. So, he is worshipped with love and devotion by musicians and actors. He was also a great yogi or mystic.
Hanuman was born to Anjanadevi and Vaayu, the wind God. Hanuman is also called ‘Aanjaneya’, son of Anjana. Hanuman was extraordinary from the very moment of his birth. There are many very interesting stories about his childhood.
When he was small, Hanuman felt very hungry. Looking up he saw in the east something red. Hanuman thought that the red sun was a fruit and flew up to snatch it. What was a child’s whim became something serious. Though the sun’s heat burnt his face, Hanuman was determined and continued to fly towards the sun. Indra, the Lord of Heaven, feared that the sun might be caught. So he hit at Hanuman with his terrible weapon Vajrayudha. Hanuman fell down and was hurt. His cheeks became swollen. (This is why he came to be called Hanuman. ‘Hanu’ in Sanskrit means the cheek.)
Hanuman the perfect devotee
Hanuman is a pure devotee and a prefect servant of Lord Rama. Everything that he did was only to please Lord Rama, whether it was building bridges, fighting demons or flying across the country to fetch life saving herbs. When he saw Sita in Ravan’s Lanka, he not only delivered the message of Lord Rama to her but also destroyed the forest, killed many demons and burnt down half of Lanka. Hanuman never expected anything in return from Lord Rama.
Hanuman had a special place in the heart of Lord Rama. Hanuman’s devotion to Rama was profound. Anything and everything, without Him, seemed futile to Hanuman. Once, when Sita presented a pearl necklace to him, he tried to find Ram in each pearl. When he couldn’t, he was disappointed and he tore it apart and threw it away.
She was surprised and asked for an explanation. In reply, Hanuman tore open his chest with his nails and showed everyone the word ‘Rama’ engraved on his heart.
Even today the idol of Hanuman, the god of protection, is found in the temples of Rama.