What is Hanuman Jayanti Festival?
The Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of the Vanara God, Hanuman is known as Hanuman Jayanti. This festival is grandly celebrated during the month of the Chaitra Pournimaa that is on the 15th day of the Shukla Paksha. On this day, devotees in large number flock the nearest Hanuman temples to worship him. Hanuman is a committed devotee of Lord Rama. He is worshipped by everybody because of his unflinched devotion towards Lord Rama.
History of Hanuman Jayanti Festival
Read about Hanuman Jayanti Festival
Among the festival of Hindus, Hanuman Jayanti is an important festival. Hanuman is marked as the symbol of energy and strength. According to the folk tradition, he is worshipped as a deity with the ability and magical powers to control any kind of evil spirit. Hanuman was part and parcel of Lord Rama endure his 14 years life in jungle and help him in the battle against Ravana. It is said that Hanuman has the ability to assume any kind of form at will.
How Hanuman Jayanti Festival is celebrated?
On the day of Hanuman Jayanti, all the devotees visits nearest Hanuman temples and usually apply tilak of sindhur on their foreheads from the idol of Hanuman. There is a traditional belief that Hanuman largely loves sindhur. In Orissa, on the first day of Baisakha month, Hanuman Jayanthi is celebrated according to the Oriya calendar. This day is also celebrated as Maha Vishuva Sankranti (New Year) by all Oriyas. In Andhra Pradesh, Hanuman Jayanthi is grandly celebrated on the 10th day of Bahula. In the month of Margazhi, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There is a common belief that Hanuman was born on the new moon day. In the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra, Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated in Maharashtra, on the full moon day. It is to be noted that on this day, spiritual discourses in Hanuman temples are started at dawn. The idol of Hanuman is decorated with sindhur and flowers. The devotees flock the Hanuman temples with lot of offerings mainly fruits. The youth pray to Lord Hanuman in order to build and maintain muscular body structure like him. Special prayer and puja is done in the local gymnasiums too.