Hanuman Puja

There are many beliefs and traditions associated with the worship of Lord Hanuman, and each individual worships him with devotion according to their faith. Among these beliefs, a special worship of Lord Hanuman is performed the day before Diwali, which we know as Chhoti Diwali. This day is also celebrated as Kali Chaudas or Narak Chaudas. Many people perform Hanuman ji's worship on this day with great enthusiasm and devotion.

It is believed that on the night of Kali Chaudas, negative energies and evil spirits become particularly strong. To protect oneself from these forces, the special worship of Lord Hanuman is considered important, as he is not only a symbol of strength, courage, and power, but is also regarded as the great protector from evil forces. Through his worship, one gains protection from these negativities and attains spiritual strength.

According to another belief, after Lord Ram completed his 14-year exile and defeated Ravana, upon returning to Ayodhya, he blessed Lord Hanuman for his devotion and dedication. He granted him the boon that whenever people worship him (Lord Ram), they will first worship Lord Hanuman. This tradition of worshipping Lord Hanuman a day before Diwali started from this blessing.

In the famous Hanumangarhi Temple in Ayodhya, Hanuman Puja is performed with great pomp and splendor on the day of Chhoti Diwali, which holds special significance for devotees. On this day, worshippers offer their devotion and prayers to Lord Hanuman, seeking strength and courage, and protection from negativity.

Organization of Hanuman worship

Worship Method:

Wake up in the morning and complete your daily routine. Since the colour red is very dear to Lord Hanuman, wear clean red clothes. After that, clean the place of worship and purify it by sprinkling it with Ganga water. Draw a swastika and place a platform over it. Cover the platform with a red cloth and place some red rice (Akshat) on it. Then, place the idol or picture of Lord Hanuman on top of it. To the right of Hanuman Ji, place the idol or picture of Lord Ram, and to the left, establish the Kalash. First, perform the worship of Lord Ganesha, then Lord Ram, and finally, Lord Hanuman.

Kalash Establishment:

Take a copper or brass Kalash and draw a swastika on it. Tie a sacred thread (Mauli) around the neck of the Kalash. Then, fill it with Ganga water, place a coin, a whole turmeric root, and a betel nut inside. Cover the Kalash with a bowl filled with grains, place mango leaves on top of the bowl, and cover it. After placing some red rice (Akshat) on it, establish the Kalash to the left of Lord Hanuman.

Worship:

First, apply a tilak to Lord Ganesha and offer him a yellow cloth. Then, offer flowers, fruits, and a sacred thread (Janeu). After that, offer a yellow cloth to Lord Ram, along with flowers, fruits, and Janeu.

Next, apply tilak to Lord Hanuman and offer him flowers, fruits, and a red cloth. Then, perform the worship of the Kalash and the oil lamp (Diya), and light the lamp. Finally, offer Dakshina (donation) and perform the Aarti. Distribute the offerings (Prasad) to all the devotees after mixing the fruits and other items offered during the worship.

The story of Hanuman's birth

Once upon a time, on the Rishyamukha Mountain, there lived a monkey king named Kesari, and his wife was named Anjani. His wife was a very pious and virtuous lady. Anjani performed intense penance to Lord Shiva to receive the boon of a son, as she was a devout follower of Lord Shiva. All these events were part of a divine plan.

Lord Vishnu was destined to incarnate on Earth as Lord Rama to slay Ravana. Additionally, due to a curse from Sage Narada, Lord Vishnu had to seek the assistance of monkeys in his human form. Therefore, when Mother Anjani pleased Lord Shiva and asked for a son as a boon, Lord Shiva thought to himself, "Why not take this opportunity to become a devotee of Lord Vishnu and assist him?"

With this thought, Lord Shiva manifested his divine energy, which was akin to his own reflection, and assigned the responsibility of delivering this divine energy to Mother Anjani to the Wind God (Pavan Dev). Following Lord Shiva's command, Pavan Dev carried Lord Shiva's divine energy to Mother Anjani. As a result of this divine energy, Mother Anjani conceived and gave birth to a supremely radiant and divine son, an incarnation of the Eleventh Rudra, known as Bajrangi (Hanuman).

Thus, Hanuman reached Mother Anjani through the divine energy of Lord Shiva and the assistance of the Wind God (Pavan Dev). Kesari, who was Mother Anjani's husband, became Hanuman's earthly father. Therefore, Hanuman is considered the son of Lord Shiva, the Wind God, and Kesari.

To affirm this, Tulsidas Ji has also mentioned in Hanuman Chalisa:

Sankar suvan Kesari Nandan, Tej pratap maha jag vandan.

There is no greater devotee of Lord Hari than Lord Shiva, and until today, no one has surpassed Hanuman Ji in devotion to Lord Shri Ram. Thus, Hanuman Ji is indeed a manifestation of Lord Shiva, who constantly chants the name of Hari, and all his actions were dedicated to Lord Shri Ram.

How did he get the name Hanuman?

Once upon a time, Bajrangi set out to obtain the Sun God, mistaking him for a red fruit. Seeing the rising sun, Bajrangi roared like a lion and leaped forward with his arms and legs spread wide. It is said that he embarked on this quest believing the sun to be some fruit, but this was part of the divine play because, at that moment, Rahu was trying to consume the sun.

To protect the sun from Rahu's wrath, Bajrangi leaped toward the sun and intercepted Rahu in mid-air. Subsequently, Bajrangi struck Rahu with his mace, injuring him. Fearful from Bajrangi's blows, Rahu became unconscious and fell to the ground. Seeking refuge with Indra, Rahu recounted his injury and deceitfully claimed that a powerful monkey was coming to seize Indra's kingdom and throne, thus provoking Indra to prepare for battle against Bajrangi. Indra has always been greedy for his power. Listening to Rahu's deceitful words, Indra became anxious, and at that moment, Indra, along with Rahu and all the deities, came to fight against Hanuman Ji.

When Indra arrived there, he could not recognize Bajrangi, and Indra along with all the deities attacked Bajrangi. Hanuman Ji defeated all the deities, including Rahu, in the battle. At that moment, King Indra, in a state of distress, struck the mighty Bajrangi, the son of the wind god, on the chin with his thunderbolt (Vajra). Although Bajrangi Ji was so powerful that he could have avoided the thunderbolt, he chose to honor it and endured its blow. As a result of the thunderbolt's strike, Bajrangi fainted.

When the Wind God saw his son in a fainted state, he became enraged and said to all the deities, "I will destroy Indra, who has harmed my son Bajrangi, at this very moment. I am the wind, the essence of all living beings and the ancestors." Saying this, he took a deep breath and pulled the air from the entire world. When the Wind God drew in the air of the world, chaos erupted throughout the universe. All creatures became distressed and started to perish without air.

Seeing the plight of the beings, Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh, and all the deities became alarmed. At that moment, all the deities—Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, Agni, Kubera, Varuna, and others—came and said, "O Wind God! Why are you destroying all of creation for the sake of your son?" The Wind God replied, "If my son does not survive, I will annihilate all of creation." Hearing the Wind God’s words, all the deities pleaded with him for mercy. They implored, "O Wind God, please do not be angry."

Then, by the blessings of Brahma Ji, Bajrangi came back to consciousness. Seeing Bajrangi awake, the Wind God was pleased. After that, Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh bestowed various forms of boons and divine powers upon Bajrangi. Additionally, all the deities granted him a variety of blessings, which were as follows:

Vishnu Ji said- "O Wind God! Your son will be fearless and immortal."

Mahadev Ji declared- "The fire that emerges from my third eye will never harm this child, and my infallible trident and other weapons will not affect him at all."

Brahma said- "O Marut! From today, my Brahmastra, Brahmadand, Brahmapash, and other weapons will also not harm him."

Kubera stated- "Through your son, all the demons will be destroyed."

Varuna added- "O Wind God! From today, your son will be as powerful as I am, and he will never feel fatigue even in the largest of battles."

Indra proclaimed- "I grant your son a boon that from today, my infallible thunderbolt will have no effect on him, and his body will be like that of the thunderbolt. As a result of being struck by my thunderbolt on his chin, he will be known in the world as 'Hanuman.'" Thus, Bajrangi received the name Hanuman. After bestowing these boons, all the deities returned to their respective realms.

Hanuman Ji honored the thunderbolt and respected it, but he diminished his own honor in the process. For this reason, Bajrangi became famous in the world as Hanuman.

Why did the sages and ascetics curse Hanuman Ji?

Due to receiving various boons and divine powers from the deities, Hanuman became extremely mighty and powerful. His radiance and strength were filled with great valor; however, Hanuman Ji was still in his childhood and was inherently very playful in nature. The sages and ascetics thought that this boy would achieve great things in his life. They feared that due to his playful nature, he might cause harm to himself with his powers.

Therefore, the sages decided to give Hanuman Ji a curse so that he would forget his powers. They determined that at the right time, a great individual would remind him of his abilities, allowing all his powers to return.