The Ramayana is not just the story of Sri Rama; it is as well the story of His devotees. The story of Sri Krishna is the history of all those closely associated with Him. Similarly, the story of Jesus Christ is the experience recorded by His disciples. They recorded and wrote the accounts not to seek glory for themselves but to glorify God. As John the Baptist said of Jesus Christ, "He must become more important, while I become less important." – John 3:30.

Truth can neither be created nor altered, it is eternal. Avatars like Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Jesus Christ, and Sri Budha never invented any new truths of their own, rather they came to reestablish dharma and reiterate the eternal truth. A cursory glance at the history of nations would reveal that the birth of Jesus Christ, Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, Prophet Mohammed, Sri Budha, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahans and others in their respective periods and countries were a historical necessity. Events in history do not happen by themselves. There are great men behind them who make our lives sublime, influence the course of history, religions, politics, society, economy, culture and even science. They took birth to deflate false dogmas, puncture erroneous presumptions, eliminate hideous forms of worship and animal sacrifice, root out obnoxious cults, and save the people from the social morass of their times.

Today, again, we are standing on the brink of a great cyclical change. The twilight has already set in and one can not dismiss the rumbles of a distant but imminent thunder. Obviously, the night will be the darkest before the dawn. As Socrates once said there seems nothing to be done except to crouch behind a wall until the storm passes by. As posterity would record it, it is not without any divine ordinance and grace that this volume is being released at this juncture.

This is not a religious publication. Nor is this just another narration of the life of Sri Hanuman. His life finds a brief mention for the benefit of those who do not know about Him. This is not a documentation of history; rather it carries a message for the future generations. Neither is this an attempt to canonise anyone, to initiate and form a new cult (we have had too many of them), nor to introduce a new dogma. On the contrary, this is an attempt to record the marvels of a great divine person as a token of appreciation of the devotees benefited by Him. His life and spiritual work is enough proof that we are not alone in this world and that we are always under the gaze of an omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent Super Conscious Power in whose hands our beloved Swamiji is an instrument.

This volume is the culmination of our efforts to spread the message of love, compassion, tolerance, and brotherhood across the world as mentioned by Swamiji. Truth demands deep devotion and personal experience before realisation. Some may dabble with it for pastime or light intellectual deliberations. However, even that could well be the beginning of a gradual transfiguration of a mind cluttered and soiled by its own impressions.

Devotees, thousands in number, from all over the world have had miraculous experiences. While most devotees have not recorded their experiences, some have found it difficult to express their experiences adequately. The incidents included in this volume were recorded by devotees themselves. However, being culled out from memory and translated into English from their native tongues minor discrepancies would have crept in during transliteration. Max Muller, in Ramakrishna – His Life and Sayings, mentions about a dialogic process wherein the truth gets exaggerated out of attachment to a divine person and events get miraculised. Care has, therefore, been taken to present the experiences of devotees as realistic as possible and without exaggeration.

The devotees of Sri Vikraman Swamiji are grateful to the meticulous and devout efforts of Shri G Krishnamurthy, an ardent devotee of Swamiji in the USA. But for the website hosted by him on Swamiji the publication of this volume would have been rendered very difficult. A number of other kindhearted and devout persons have contributed in giving shape to this publication. More than anything else, we consider this volume as the grace and gift from Lord Anjaneya and Sri Vikraman Swamiji. We deserve the credit for the imperfections only. We will consider our effforts amply rewarded if this volume could offer a shade of hope to atleast a few tormented and distressed souls, a ray of light to those confused by the perplexities of life, a message of love and compassion to the unfortunate and unloved, and shades of truth to those in its search. This is our first step towards a world of one race – the human race, one religion – the religion of compassion, one caste – the caste of brotherhood, and one language – the language of love. We dedicate this volume at the holy feet of our beloved Sri Vikraman Swamiji.

Sage Valmiki's Ramayana hailed as the Adikavya has inspired many saints and poets to recreate this immortal epic. The Ramacharitamanas by Saint Tulsidas, Kamba Ramayanam, the Ananda Ramayana, the Adbhuta Ramayana, the Adhyatma Ramayanam, and the innumerable songs by Saint Tyagaraja, Arunachala Kavi, Samartha Ramadas and Purandara Dasa were inspired by this great epic.

Sri Ramachandra or Sri Rama as He is fondly called, the seventh incarnation of Sri Vishnu, was born as the eldest son of King Dasaratha and Kausalya. He is the hero of the Ramayana that took place during Treta Yuga. He hailed from the Surya Vamsa (the Solar dynasty), also known as Kakutstha dynasty, of King Ikshwaku, the forefather of the Raghu dynasty of King Raghu. Hence, Sri Rama is also known as Raghupati. When quite a boy, Sri Rama, along with his younger brother Lakshmana, was taken by Viswamitra (Kausika), to his hermitage to protect his rituals from the demons that obstructed them. Sri Rama killed the demons for which Sage Kausika rewarded them with several powerful and miraculous missiles. Sri Rama and Lakshmana then accompanied Viswamitra to the city of Mithila, the capital of King Janaka, where He married his daughter Sita Devi after performing the superhuman feat of bending Siva's bow (Siva Dhanus). Lakshmana was married to the other daughter Urmila. Ravana, one of the unsuccessful contenders, left the venue with envy.

In Her previous life, Sita Devi was named Kusha, the daughter of a forest-dweller. Men from many worlds approached Her father Kushadvaj for his daughter's hand in marriage. The father was slain by a jealous suitor, and the mother died of grief. She was left alone at a young age to fend for Herself in the forest. But she acquired great mystic powers through yogic practices.

Ravana saw Her on one of his missions to conquer the universe and grabbed Her by the hair intending to kidnap Her. She transformed Her arm into a sword and cut Her hair off. She then built a funeral pyre and entered the fire and was instantly reborn from a giant lotus from the flames. Ravana again took Her and this time managed to bring Her to Lanka where one of his ministers warned him that she would prove to be his destroyer. Ravana threw Her into the sea, but Her body drifted to the shore of the kingdom of Janaka, a good and pious king. Her spirit, now in the form of a young child, was unearthed from the ground and adopted by Janaka as his daughter and named Sita.

Dasaratha, realizing that Sri Rama was qualified to rule the kingdom of Ayodhya, resolved to install him as his heir-apparent. But, on the eve of the coronation, his favorite wife Kaikeyi, instigated by her wicked maid Manthara, asked Dasaratha to fulfil the two boons he had granted her earlier. By one boon, she demanded the banishment of Sri Rama for fourteen years into the jungle Dandakaranya, and, by the other, the installation of her own son Bharatha as the heir-apparent. Dasaratha had to oblige her and Sri Rama left for the forest accompanied by Sita Devi and Lakshmana.

Ravana, in his previous life, was one of two gatekeepers who guarded the palace of Lord Vishnu in Vaikunta, the spiritual world. Sages known as the four Kumaras approached for an audience with Vishnu, but the gatekeepers Jay and Vijay suspecting them to be demons in disguise, did not permit them. The Kumaras felt offended and cursed the gatekeepers to leave the spiritual world. Vishnu heard the disturbance, and modified the curse that the gatekeepers could choose to either spend six lives as pure souls in the material world, or three lives as demons. They chose to spend the shorter period so that they could rejoin their beloved Lord sooner. In one lifetime, one of the gatekeepers became King Kamsa, who wanted to annihilate child Krishna during his life in Vrindavan. In the second, he was born as Hiranyakasipu, the demonic father of Saint Prahlad. Lord Narasimha, the half-man/half-lion incarnation of Vishnu killed him. In the third life, he became Ravana. The other gatekeeper incarnated as brother to each of these demons.

Ravana means one who makes the universe scream. According to the 1^st canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, in his war for control of the universe, Ravana attempted to deploy forces to higher planets such as the abode of Indra, King of the demigods. He is the greatest antihero in the entire Vedic writings. When Ravana died, Sri Hanuman remarked that were it not for his pride he would have been a protector of the entire universe.

Ravana resolved to punish Sri Rama by kidnapping Sita Devi in order to avenge the insults Lakshmana had heaped on his sister. In this successful effort, he was assisted by his uncle Mareecha. Ravana knew he could not win the battle with Sri Rama. His own advisors had warned him that fighting Sri Rama would mean the end of the demon race. But his obsession with achieving god-hood was implacable.

Sri Rama and Lakshmana, during their search operations, met Sri Hanuman in the city of Kishkindha, who informed them that Sita Devi was in Lanka. Sri Hanuman leapt over to Lanka, met Sita Devi, warned Ravana, killed his son, partially burnt down Lanka, killed many demons, and returned to inform Sri Rama about Sita Devi. The army of monkeys, under the leadership of their king Sugriva, built a bridge across the ocean to enable Sri Rama to access Lanka with His troops. The bridge between the Indian peninsula and Sri Lanka referred to as Ramasetu is now called the Adam's bridge.

Sri Rama conquered Lanka, killed Ravana along with his whole hoard of demons, and installed Vibheeshana as the king of Lanka. Sri Rama returned to Ayodhya along with Sita Devi, and others where He was installed as king by Sage Vasishta. His son Kus succeeded him.

The story of the great epic Ramayana is also the story of Sri Anjaneya, who strides throughout the epic like a colossus. Ha means Isvara, Supreme Consciousness; Nu means that which pervades; Man means the manifested. Hanuman, thus, means the manifested existence of the Supreme Consciousness which pervades all.

When Lord Siva learnt that Vishnu had taken birth upon the earth, He desired to participate in the divine drama which was to unfold. Therefore as the eleventh incarnation of Rudra, as one who takes away the tears, He manifested as Sri Hanuman, in which form He could act as the perfect servant of the Lord.

Punjikasthala, an attendant of Brihaspathi, the teacher of the demigods, was once cursed to become a monkey and the curse was to be removed when she gave birth to an incarnation of Lord Siva. She was born in the vanara race as Anjana who married Kesari. The vanaras were an intelligent race of monkeys. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Siva granted a boon that He would be born to her.

Meanwhile King Dasaratha of Ayodhya performed the Puthrakameshti Yagam to have progeny. The sacred pudding which he got from the ritual was to be shared among his four wives. By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a portion of the pudding and dropped it where Anjana Devi was in worship. Vayu Dev, the deity of wind, delivered the sacred pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana Devi, who swallowed it immediately. Anjaneya was thus born to Anjana Devi. Since Vayu Dev delivered the sacred pudding to her Anjaneya is considered to be his progeny and is called Pavana Thanaya, Pavana Sutha or Vayu Thanaya. Since He was brought up by Kesari, Anjaneya is also called Kesari Nandan. Since He is born of Anjana Devi He is called Anjaneya. Sri Anjaneya is the eleventh reincarnation of Lord Siva.

He leapt 16,000 miles towards the Sun mistaking it for a sweet fruit. Rahu, who alone has the power to eclipse the Sun, cautioned Indra, the king of gods. Indra struck Him with thunderbolt wounding His chin. Anjaneya fell down and Vayu Dev carried Him to the nether regions.

Absence of Vayu Dev threatened annihilation of life on the earth and the gods started appeasing Vayu Dev by showering boons after boons on Anjaneya. Varuna Dev, the deity of the sea, blessed Him with immortality. Yama Dev, the deity of death, blessed Him that He would not be affected by Yamadand, his weapon. Kubera, the deity of wealth, blessed Him that mace would not inflict Him. Lord Brahma blessed that the powerful Brahmadand or Brahmaastra would not affect him. Lord Siva blessed Him that He would not face any threat from the invincible trisul or the Paasupathastram. Brihaspathi, the teacher of the demigods, blessed Him that no weapon would affect Him. These boons rendered Anjaneya invincible. Since His chin was wounded He came to be called Hanuman. Hanu in Sanskrit means the chin. His name suggests the one with a Broken Jaw.

Hanuman mastered all scriptures from Surya, the Sun God. The Sun God insisted that he could not stop his constant appointed rounds. Hanuman consequently followed him across the universe during his years of schooling. Sri Hanuman learned quickly and was a good student who developed many fine qualities. Sri Hanuman traversed the sky at the same speed of Surya, facing him while concentrating on His studies. The Sun God was pleased by His accomplishment. However, when Sri Hanuman insisted on giving Dakhshina (tuition fees) Surya asked Him to advise and protect his son Sugriva, who was living at Kishkindha. Vayu Dev taught Him how to fly and avoid obstacles while flying. Lord Siva taught him martial arts, mantra, tantra, and philosophy. He was taught music by Goddess Saraswati.

Subsequently, Sugriva and his brother Vali (also called Bali) fell apart due to a misunderstanding and Sugriva fled along with his ministers to Rishyamukha Mountain, where Vali would not enter due to a curse. Meanwhile Sri Rama and Lakshmana came to Rishyamukha in search of Sita Devi who was abducted by the demon king Ravana. Suspecting the brothers to be foes Sugriva sent Sri Hanuman, who approached them in the guise of a Brahmin. Sri Rama was extremely impressed by the behaviour and conduct of Sri Hanuman in the Brahmin guise that He revealed His identity. Sri Hanuman prostrated before Him and Sri Rama embraced Him. In the subsequent developments, Sri Hanuman introduced Sri Rama to Sugriva, initiated the search for Sita Devi, discovered Her in Ashoka Van in Lanka, consoled Her, destroyed the city, killed many demons, returned to Lanka with Sri Rama, saved the life of Lakshmana, and played a prominent role in the war.

Sri Hanuman won Sri Rama's admiration by his civil manners and elegant use of language. He always behaved in a gentlemanly way offering proper respect with folded hands. He is courteous to friends and foes alike, to the point of inquiring about Ravana's welfare before delivering Sri Rama's challenge of war. Sri Hanuman's statements were filled with elegant phrases.

Even in war He remained a gentleman respectful of the codes of warfare. For example, in the final battle with Ravana, Sri Hanuman was struck by Ravana. He retaliated with a blow of his own. Ravana could withstand Sri Hanuman’s blow but remarked, "You are a worthy enemy." Sri Hanuman replied, "I do not care for your compliments. I am ashamed that after my blow you are still alive." Ravana turned to fight Nila, another monkey warrior. Sri Hanuman, however, did not interfere, as it was against warrior codes to interrupt another person’s battle. He was a perfect warrior-gentleman.

Once Sri Rama asked Sri Anjaneya how He considered Him. Sri Anjaneya replied, "When I identify myself with the body, O Lord, I am Thy creature, eternally separate from Thee. When I identify myself with the Soul, I am a spark of that Divine Fire which Thou art. But when I identify myself with the Atma, I and Thou art one."

When Sri Rama expressed His gratitude for the many services Sri Hanuman had rendered saying that He felt much indebted that His own life was not enough compensation for all that Sri Hanuman had done for Him. For Him, Sri Rama was the means as well as the goal. For Him no position is nobler than being called a servant of Sri Rama. His life scintillates with unqualified obedience to Sri Rama, strict observance of celibacy, courage, absolute and total faith in the name of Sri Rama. For all His services to Sri Rama He asked for only one thing in life. "Please give me the blessing that my affection for you should never diminish. Do not allow me to think of anything else. I want to live as long as your name is preserved among the sons of men. Let me be forever and forever be your devotee."

The life of a man is bound to be full of problems and difficulties and the task before him is to learn to cope with them. The way shown by Sri Hanuman is to hand over oneself to the Lord who will then help to surmount them. This handing over is called surrender.

Sri Hanuman is an accomplished musician. Vedic texts describe that He daily sings songs of Sri Rama and is able to discourse on ragas and other traditional musical motifs. Valmiki also describes Him as a Sanskrit grammarian, a learned linguist, and a scholar capable of quoting scriptural law to Ravana in an effort to convince him to release Sita Devi.

When Sri Hanuman saw Sri Rama grieving over the loss of Sita Devi, He offered well chosen words of consolation. At one point, in great humility, He said that an ordinary monkey like Him could do nothing except jumping from one tree to another. Sri Rama embraced him out of gratitude, but Sri Hanuman was embarassed and said that He did not deserve such high praise.

Sri Hanuman is extremely perceptive, noting places and events which would be useful in the forthcoming battle. He studied every nook and cranny of the city in His pre-battle reconnaissance and returned to give Sri Rama a vivid account of everything. Sri Hanuman allowed Himself to be paraded through the city, as this afforded Him the chance to assess the enemy's strengths. Only then did He escape, transformed Himself into a giant, killed the captors, set fire to the city, and flew back to Sri Rama.

Sage Valmiki frequently refers to Sri Hanuman's powerful warrior aspect such as: His roaring in eagerness, the sound of His tail striking the ground, His ability to outdo even 1,000 demons. It is His sensitivity and kindness, however, which make Him such a memorable character.

He was deeply distressed at the sight of the suffering of Sita Devi and yet at the same time delighted to have found Her. His first worry was how to properly introduce Himself to Sita Devi so that He could convince Her, without scaring Her, that He was a messenger from Sri Rama. With the presence of the ogresses around Her, Sri Hanuman had to be cautious also, since He had to accomplish the mission without arousing any suspicion. He reasoned that He should speak to Her in a manner that will be convincing to Her, for beholding His monkey form and human speech, Sita Devi should not be terrorised further. Sri Hanuman's intelligence comes to the fore in this context. He was extremely overwhelmed on finding Sita Devi, yet He was anxious that His mission should not end up in vain. With foresight He planned a strategy which would at once bring cheer to Sita Devi without arousing the suspicion of the ogresses. In a low voice which only She could hear, Sri Hanuman narrated the glory of Sri Rama from His birth up to the mission of locating Her.

The frequent alternation between depression and enthusiasm, the occasional loss of control over His own enthusiasm while retaining a logical progression of thought, are balanced with His ability to pick Himself up and set out again against the strongest currents. These are some of the qualities that have contributed to His image as a profoundly noble as well as a super hero.

He is considered the symbol of diplomacy and tact which He demonstrated on several occasions. When Sri Rama and Lakshmana came to the Rishyamukha Mountain, Sugriva suspected them to be foes and sent Sri Hanuman in the guise of a Brahmin. Sri Rama was extremely impressed by the behaviour and conduct of Sri Hanuman and remarked, "None can speak thus without mastering the Vedas and their branches. Nor is their any defect in his countenance, eyes, forehead, brows, or any of his limbs. His accents are captivating. Even an enemy who has his sword uplifted will be moved. Indeed, success awaits the king whose emissaries are so accomplished."

He tried to persuade Ravana to free Sita Devi, knowing well that Ravana would not do that. But He wanted to perform His duty as the messenger of Sri Rama. Similarly, it was His advice to accept Vibheeshana, who had left his brother Ravana during the war. It was His strategy to provoke Indrajit, son of Ravana, to shoot the dangerous missile Brahmastra against Him so that Indrajit would not use it again against Sri Rama or anybody else during the war.

Vali before dying had told Sri Rama that even if He should forego Sugriva's help in the mission of finding Sita Devi, He should not think of rejecting Sri Hanuman's help. True to his prediction, Sugriva who was asked to start the search for Sita Devi after the rainy season was over and given a respite to enjoy his new found happiness forgot all about the job entrusted to him. It was Sri Hanuman who gave sane counsel to Sugriva pointing out his duty exhorting him to assemble his Vanara army to fulfil the task entrusted to him. After assigning different tasks to his commanders to search in all directions, Sugriva expressed the confidence he had in Hanuman by telling Sri Rama that He alone would succeed in locating Sita Devi.

When Sri Hanuman was entrusted with the task of finding Sita Devi He went about with full commitment because it was the Lord's mission. He overcame all hurdles with sagacity and succeeded in locating Sita Devi kept in captivity in the Ashoka grove and convinced Her that He was the envoy of Her Lord.

Sri Rama had full trust in the fidelity and ability of Sri Hanuman that He entrusted His signet-ring to Him with the words, "Take this ring. I am full of hope that you will discover Sita Devi. This ring will tell Her that you are my messenger. Dear Hanuman, may you bring Sita Devi and Me together again!"

Sri Hanuman is an embodiment of humility. He was instrumental in blasting the ego of Bheema, Ravana, Vali, Arjun and many others.

Among the seven cantos, Sage Valmiki has gone to the extent of naming a canto after Him, the Sundara Kandam, a tribute he does not give to any other person. The Sundara Kandam, the fifth canto in the Ramayana, which narrates the exploits and valour of Sri Hanuman is considered to be the most prominent chapter. A regular rendering of this chapter is believed to bestow immense peace to the reader.

As the name suggests, this canto is simply beautiful and it has been described as the piece de resistance of the Ramayana. There are many interpretations to the name of this canto. Many scholars feel that the word Sundara refers to Sri Hanuman. Sundara means a vanara or a messenger or an intermediary between the hero and heroine. In all these aspects this refers to Sri Hanuman. It is also said that Sage Valmiki considered that this canto was his best effort in terms of literary excellence and hence decided to call it Sundara Kandam. It is also Sundara because this canto lightens the heart of the readers because Sita Devi and Sri Rama had relief to some extent. Sundara also means the recovery of something lost. The rediscovery of Sita Devi finds narration in this canto and hence the name.

Sundara Kandam deals almost entirely about the achievements of Sri Hanuman in one night, as He searched for Sita Devi. Roused by Jambhavan, Hanuman assumes a gigantic size. Sri Hanuman prayed to Lord Rama and the Gods of all quarters before embarking on His flight. In spite of being very powerful, He is the embodiment of humility which was revealed in all his actions. Sage Valmiki has provided a detailed description of His leap to Lanka. Hanuman swelled His body, shook His bodily hairs, roared loudly, whirled His tail, contracted His waist, and just before leaping off the mountain He sank down, drew in His arms and neck, flattened his ears, and filled Himself with concentrated power and energy focused on the lower part of the body. He scanned the sky in order to see a clear path for Himself, arrested the vital air (prana) in His heart, and leapt. The mountain at this moment shook, its rocks and trees shot forth, and the animals residing there leapt off in terror. Water and minerals were released, and snakes sprang from the ground! It was a unique sight and only a unique person could have achieved it.

The lord of the oceans wanted to help Sri Hanuman, the messenger of Sri Rama, the scion of the Ikshvaku race. He summoned the submerged mountain Mainaka, the offspring of Mena. Mainaka which had the power to become big or small immediately grew as tall as the sky and came in the path of Sri Hanuman. Sri Hanuman mistook it as an obstacle and pushed it away with his chest. The mountain then took a form and told Him that it was not an obstacle, but had come in the way only to offer Him a place to rest. Sri Hanuman replied that He would not rest till His mission was accomplished. Such was His commitment to duty!

As He continued his journey, the demigods wanted to test His commitment. They urged the serpent Surasa to take up the form of a big ogress and obstruct Hanuman. She told Hanuman that she had been granted a boon by Brahma that no one could pass her without entering her mouth. Hanuman pleaded with her but it was of no avail. He then assumed a gigantic form and asked her to open her mouth wide enough to accommodate Him. When her mouth was wide open, He made himself as small as a fly and entered her mouth and came out in a split second. He then spoke to her humbly that He had not denied Brahma’s boon and requested her permission to leave. Surasa was pleased and blessed Him.

Hanuman continued His flight. As He was passing by, Simhika, another ogress who desired to eat Him grabbed His shadow. He killed her with a single blow.

He then continued His flight and as He neared Lanka, having covered hundred yojanas, He decided to contract himself so as not to draw attention. He looked at the beautiful city of Lanka, which seemed heavenly in appearance. He decided to wait till it was night time and then entered the city. As He attempted to enter, the guardian goddess of Lanka, Lanka Lakshmi or Lankini confronted Him. He spoke humbly to her, but she was aggressive and asked Him to fight her and defeat her, thinking He was only a monkey. Hanuman hit her on her face and she fell down. This was in spite of the fact that He did not use power since He did not want to use power against a female. She was immediately subdued and informed Him about a boon by Brahma that she would be invincible until she was conquered by a monkey, which would signify the end of the demons. Saying thus, she let Him enter the city and vanished from the city forever.

Entering on His left foot, He walked through the city and took in the sights and sounds of Lanka. He waited till late night and then started looking for Sita Devi.

He had looked everywhere, but since He was not able to see Sita Devi, He was gripped with fear, wondering if Sita Devi was alive. However, He had Sri Rama’s blessing and continued His search when He spotted the Ashoka Van. In the Ashoka Van, He saw Sita Devi beneath a big Simshupa tree. Continuous fasting had made Her weak. Her clothes were worn out and tear stained. Surrounded by ugly and horrid ogresses, she was calling out to Sri Rama.

As He watched Her, Ravana entered and tried to coerce Sita Devi to marry him. Sita Devi treated him with contempt as though he was not equal to even a blade of grass. He was angered and he gave her an ultimatum of two months and left. She was then coerced and persecuted by the ogresses. However an elderly woman Trijata, intervened and warned them saying that she had a dream that Sri Rama would come and destroy them.

Hanuman who had watched enough, started singing softly about Sri Rama. Cleverly, Hanuman had aroused Her curiosity without alarming Her. He then met Her and narrated all the events and how Sri Rama spent every waking and sleeping minute in Her thought. He also gave Her the signet ring from Sri Rama. She was overjoyed and thrilled to hear about Sri Rama and wanted Hanuman to repeat the stories over and over again.

Hanuman was so joyous on seeing Her that He immediately offered to save Her and take Her away. When He told this to Sita Devi, she smiled and wondered how a little monkey could achieve this. Hanuman then revealed His huge form and Sita Devi was convinced of His power. She however told Him that she would want Her Lord to come and save Her and only that would be creditable to His bravery. Hanuman was overawed and humbled by Her chastity and devotion to Lord Rama. She then gave Hanuman Her crest jewel, which was Her wedding present, as a token of remembrance and to authenticate Hanuman’s meeting. She also narrated some incidents which only she and Sri Rama knew about.

Once, when Sita Devi and Sri Rama were resting together, Indra’s son came as a crow and pecked and hurt Her. Sri Rama was so incensed that he invoked the powerful Brahmastra. The crow was followed by a ball of fire, wherever he went and finally, he fell at Sri Rama’s feet and begged for mercy. Sri Rama spared him, but since the Brahmastra cannot go waste, He took his eye. Sita Devi wanted to remind Sri Rama that when a mere crow had angered Him so much, how much more punishment Ravana deserved for having imprisoned and persecuted Her! Hanuman then left with tears in His eyes and determination in His heart.

Hanuman’s mission was to find Sita Devi and this was accomplished. Nevertheless, He had the foresight not to stop with this. He wanted to survey the real strength of the enemy so that He could inform Sri Rama accordingly. In order to draw attention, He started destroying Ravana’s prided Ashoka Van. Sri Hanuman let His monkey qualities take over and wrecked the place, enjoying every moment of it sparing only the Simshupa tree under which Sita Devi was seated.

Ravana sent troops, sons of ministers, his army chiefs and even his favorite son Akshakumara. When all of them failed, Ravana was puzzled and grieved. Indrajit, Ravana’s son who had defeated Indra himself, then set forth to fight Sri Hanuman. Indrajit used the Brahmastra. Hanuman had Brahma’s boon and so, was unaffected. In order to meet Ravana, Hanuman pretended to be bound by the missile and fell on the ground and remained motionless. The demons in their haste tied Him with ropes. Indrajit regretted their hasty move since he knew that the Brahmaastra would become useless.

Ravana was astonished when Sri Hanuman was brought before him. How was a mere monkey able to gain entrance to his capital city, guarded as it was by demons armed with powerful weapons? In Ravana’s court, Ravana treated Sri Hanuman rudely. Ravana did not even offer Him a seat but He made a seat with his tail, which was so high that Ravana was forced to look up to Him! Sri Hanuman warned Ravana that he should return Sita Devi or be prepared to face destruction of the entire tribe. Sri Hanuman warned Ravana that his boon of invincibility at the hands of all beings excluded men and monkeys. Ravana was so upset that he ordered the execution of Sri Hanuman. Killing the messenger instead of the originator of the message is an unpardonable crime and Vibhishana reasoned with Ravana and pacified him. Instead, Ravana ordered setting fire to Sri Hanuman’s tail.

The demons wrapped the tail with cloth and Sri Hanuman grew in size. They then set fire to His tail. Sri Hanuman let Himself be dragged through the city. When Sita Devi was informed of this, she invoked Agni, the deity of fire, and requested him that Sri Hanuman should not feel the heat.

Sri Hanuman was not one bit affected by the heat. He was however burning with anger and leapt into the air and set fire to Lanka, house after house, mansion after mansion. When he had completed destroying the city, He stood on top of the Trikuta hill and suddenly remembered that He had acted impulsively without thinking of Sita Devi’s welfare and was filled with remorse. He then consoled that when He, a mere messenger of the Lord had been untouched by fire, surely the very embodiment of virtues cannot be burnt. However, He went back and confirmed that Sita Devi was safe and then set forth on his return flight.

The return flight seemed much easier, since His mission was accomplished and He reached the Mahendra Mountain and roared with joy. His roar sounded like thunder and the vanaras realized that He had succeeded in His mission. He then narrated the story to them and they hurried towards Kishkindha. Upon reaching Kishkindha, they set foot in Sugriva’s treasured Madhuvan. With Prince Angada’s permission they started feasting in the Madhuvan. This would normally have invoked Sugriva’s anger, but when Sugriva was informed, he was happy because he realized that the vanaras would not have dared such a thing unless their mission was a success.

Sri Hanuman then met Sri Rama and debriefed Him on His visit to Lanka. He gave the crest jewel of Sita Devi and narrated the incidents she had told Sri Hanuman. After this Sri Rama and the vanara leaders planned their campaign to fight Ravana.

Sundara Kandam mentions about two outstandingly brave people who are portrayed in totally opposite ways. Sri Hanuman is vividly described as an embodiment of strength and physical valor. Sita Devi is portrayed as a soft person who is unparalleled in courage, faith and heroism. She is passive and yet in defiance of Ravana, stood up to all persecution without a physical display of courage. She epitomizes feminine courage and both the characters have a common source of inspiration, Sri Rama.

Hanuman's leap across the ocean to Lanka is an archetypal journey into darkness. This leap, His first remembrance of suppressed superhuman abilities, is a crucial turning point in the development of His character.

The spiritual significance of Sundara Kandam is the most important. The quest of Sri Hanuman is the quest of an awakened spiritual aspirant to cross over the ocean of Samsara (transmigratory existence) and seek the divine spirit. Sri Hanuman is the awakened soul or intelligence endowed with Sattva. Jambhavan is His enlightened spiritual teacher. The vast ocean is the Samsara sagara. The ogresses Surasa, Simhika, and Lankini represent the various obstacles. Even the fact that Sri Hanuman searched in the night, illustrates the Sloka from the Bhagavad Gita which says, "That which is night for all people is when the self controlled sage is awake." Lanka with all its forts, gardens and palaces represents the various koshas, sheaths, in a man’s mind which have to be penetrated. The search is difficult as was with Sri Hanuman but will succeed with faith in Lord.

Sundara Kandam is a tresure trove of power, reading which devotees can gain mental strength and spiritual support in difficult worldly situations. Its recital with faith is believed to give courage to face and overcome obstacles in life.

He served Sri Rama as His messenger (dootha), servant (daasa), and disciple (sishya). He symbolises physical power, will power, devotion, intelligence, knowledge, and He delights in listening to the glories of Sri Rama.

According to Sage Yagnavalkya, Sri Narayana, Sri Mahadeva, and Sri Hanuman are one and the same. Sri Narayana Paramatma is the same as the Rudravatara Hanuman. Vayu Puranam and Sri Agastya Samhita also state that Sri Hanuman is the incarnation of Sri Parameshwara. As per Narada Puranam, Sri Hanuman is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient capable of creation, maintenance of order, and destruction and is none other than Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara.

He is the only character that appears in two great epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha, which are set apart by several milleniums.

According to Sri Agastya Samhita, Sri Anjaneya was born on a Tuesday in Karthika month (November-December), Mesha Lagna, on Krishna Chaturdasi and in Swathi constellation. However, the common belief is that Sri Hanuman was born in Makara month (January-February) in Moola constellation. Abhishekam is therefore performed on days ruled by ether Swathi or Moola constellation.

According to Saint Tulsidas, Sri Hanuman is bestowed with golden colour, beautiful curly hair, wears a sacred thread made of sacred grass, and shining earrings. He is very learned, adept in all scriptures including astrology and the Vedas, extremely intelligent, virtuous, and a great lover of music. Since He has a body as strong as the thunderbolt, He is also called Bajrangbali. Bajrang means thunderbolt.

According to Hanumath Prakaranam in Sri Vidyarnavatantram, Anjaneya has five faces (Pancha Mukha) and ten weapons. The five faces are that of Lord Hanuman, Lord Narasimha, Lord Adivaraha, Lord Hayagriva, and Lord Garuda. There is a belief that one of the faces is that of Sri Vinayaka. The idol of Adyanta Maha Prabhu depicts a figure of half Anjaneya and half Vinayaka.

He is a great yogi (mystic) having transcended the five senses (Pancha Indriyas).

In Kamba Ramayanam (in Tamil), the significance of number five is beautifully narrated as follows: The son of one of the five (son of wind – that is Pavana Thanaya), crossed one of the five (water – the ocean), through one of the five (sky), met daughter of one of the five (daughter of the earth – Sita Devi), burnt down Lanka by one of the five (fire). Here five means the five elements.

Sundara Kandam, which highlights the heroic exploits of Lord Hanuman at Lanka is the fifth canto in the Ramayana. Therefore, it is considered auspicious to go around His idol 5 times, 14 times, 23 times, 32 times or with such numbers the digits of which add to five.

He was blessed by Sita Devi with the ashta maha sidhis, the eight supernatural powers, and the nine wealth. The eight supernatural powers are:

Anima : the power to reduce the body to the size of an atom

Mahima : the power to expand one’s body to infinitely large size

Garima : the power to become infinitely heavy

Laghima : the power to become infinitely light

Prapti : the power of unrestricted access to any place

Prakamya : the power to realise any desire

Isitva : the power of absolute lordship

Vasitva : the power of subjugating all

The nine wealth are the nine types of devotion namely, daasya bhakthi, sravana bhakthi, vandana bhakthi, smarana bhakthi, paada sevana bhakthi, sakhya bhakthi, keertana bhakthi, aatma nivedana bhakthi, and archana bhakthi. Scholars, however, exemplify Anjaneya for His daasya bhakthi.

Sri Hanuman is the embodiment of the four yogas. His will, emotions, intellect and actions were perfectly refined and rooted in spirituality. The character of Sri Hanuman is relevant to our contemporary world. He has taught us how to be a perfect servant, a perfect messenger and a perfect devotee.

In Rama Rahasya Upanishad, Anjaneya says, "Take refuge in the auspicious Raam naam to free oneself from the ills of the materialistic world. By His grace you can fulfil your desires. Whenever the infliction becomes unbearable, think of me, the eternal servitor of Sri Rama."

His manasa mantra is:

That is, Sri Rama is the Absolute Brahman and the Absolute Reality.

The greatness of Sri Hanuman lies in His boundless love for His Lord Sri Rama and His dedication to Sri Rama. He derived all strength by His devotion to Sri Rama. He is always in meditation chanting the holy name of Sri Rama. While He was blessed with an incredible physical prowess, it was His spiritual prowess and total identification with His Lord Sri Rama that made Him real invincible and great. There is none equal to Him in valour, zeal, intelligence, dignity, character, charm, fair-mindedness, glory, tact, and audacity. His physical prowess, total identification with Sri Rama, absolute faith in Sri Rama, obeisance to Sri Rama, intellectual humility, dedication to work, desire to help those in trouble, and the power to fulfill the genuine wish of the devotees make Him not only a God to be worshiped but also a model to be cherished and followed by individuals in their life.

According to Hanumath Prakaranam in Sri Vidyarnavatantram, the weapons of Sri Hanuman are mace, sword, rope, ankusam (goad), trisul (trident), stambham, tree, khadvankam, mountain, and fist. As per Naradapurana, He uses nail (nakhayudha) and teeth (danddhayudha) as weapons. However, the mace is considered His principal weapon.

He used His fist against Ravana and Kumbakarna. He used a tree to destroy the chariot and the eight horses of Akshakumara. He killed Dhrumraksha, a demon, with a mountain. He killed another demon Akambanan with a tree. On many occasions Anjaneya used His tail as a powerful weapon. He could use virtually anything as weapon.

In Vanaparva in the Mahabharatha, it is mentioned that when Bheema met Sri Hanuman in the Kadalivana in Gandhamadana Mountain (believed to be in Orissa), he solicited His help in the impending Mahabharatha War. Sri Hanuman replied that positioning Himself on the flag on the chariot of Arjun, He would roar hearing which the enemies would faint or flee and that the Pandavas could easily annihilate a scared enemy. Tulsidas describes that hearing His roar, many enemy soldiers fainted and died. Such was His roar that Bhishma, the great grand father of the Pandavas and Kauravas, remarked that only Sri Hanuman could roar like an angry ocean. For the demons, the roar of Anjaneya portended danger and disaster.

The Anegondi village on the banks of the Tungabhadra River is considered to be the Kishkindha mentioned in the Ramayana. There is a cave near the place where it is believed that Sri Rama and Lakshmana took rest after killing Bali. Behind the cave there is a mountain peak known as Hanuman Mountain. According to local legend, Anjaneya visits the mountain peak on Chitra Pournami and special days and many people have reportedly heard the roar of Anjaneya from this peak.

Scholars opine that Anjaneya is His own carrier as none can bear His weight.

When a baby, He leapt 16,000 miles towards the rising Sun mistaking it for a sweet fruit. He crossed the ocean in just one leap, and landed in Lanka. He assumed an awesome form and scared and destroyed many demons of Lanka. He assumed a subtle form and appeared before Sita Devi in the Ashoka Van and consoled Her. He made extensive damage to Lanka single handedly. He leapt from the battle field in Lanka to the Himalayas and brought on His palm a mount full of Sanjivini herb, the medicinal-herb that saved the life of Lakshmana.

It is said that when Lord Siva decided to take birth as Anjaneya His cohort Goddess Parvati expressed Her wish to accompany Him. Lord Siva conceded and asked Her to accompany Him as His tail when He took birth as Sri Anjaneya. Devotees worship Anjaneya by smearing sindoor on the tail of Anjaneya’s idol because the tail of Anjaneya is regarded as Goddess Parvati. The extra ordinary power of Anjaneya’s tail is attributed to the presence of Goddess Parvati.

It may seem paradox to some that what was the need for Sri Rama to seek the services of Sri Anjaneya, Sugriva, and others when He himself could have single handedly annihilated Ravana. But for Anjaneya the essence of devotion and its importance could not have been portrayed. It may be noted that the events that take place in our life have deeper significance than what is understood by us. When a man named Lazarus was reported to be sick, Jesus said, "The final result of this sickness will not be the death of Lazarus; this has happened to bring glory to God, and will be the means by which the Son of God will receive glory." – John 11:4.

After the war, Sri Rama returned to Rameswaram and wanted to worship Lord Siva. He asked Anjaneya to bring a sivling from Kailas. The auspicious time fixed for the consecration of the sivling was getting over and Sri Rama made a sivling out of sand and consecrated it. When Anjaneya returned from Kailas He was angry that Sri Rama did not wait for Him. However, Sri Rama asked Him to remove the sivling and install the sivling from Kailas in its place. Anjaneya tried to remove the sivling with the help of His tail. Not only that He failed to do so but also His tail got wounded in the process. Then He realised that the power He enjoyed was due to the blessings of Sri Rama and prostrated before Sri Rama.

Once Bheema set out in search of Sougandhikam, a rare flower desired by his wife Droupadi. On the way he found an old monkey lying across the road blocking the path. Bheema ordered the monkey to make way for him. The monkey replied that it was too old and tired to move and that he could lift his tail and make way for himself. Bheema, credited with the strength of thousand elephants, could not even lift the tail of the monkey. When he realised that it was no ordinary monkey, Bheema prostrated and requested it to display its real form. Anjaneya obliged by assuming his real form and blessed his brother. Vayu, the deity of wind, sired Bheema whereas Vayu is considered the stepfather of Anjaneya.

Arjuna was advised to do penance for obtaining Paasupathastram, the sacred weapon, from Lord Siva. As a precursor to the penance, he set on a pilgrimage and reached Rameswaram where he visited the sethu bridge (sethu bandhanam) constructed by Sri Rama with the help of the monkey battalion. Seeing the bridge he wondered why Sri Rama, an adept in archery, could not make a bridge using arrows instead of stones. Meanwhile he was being watched by Anjaneya, but they did not recognise each other. Arjuna asked Anjaneya why Sri Rama could not do so. Anjaneya replied that such a bridge could not have sustained even His weight. Arjuna said it was possible for him to make such a bridge which Anjaneya did not agree to. Arjuna challenged Anjaneya on condition that if the bridge made by him turned out to be strong enough He should become his slave. Both accepted the challenge. Arjuna made a bridge of arrows and the moment Anjaneya stepped on the bridge it collapsed. A bewildered Arjuna fervently prayed to Lord Krishna who came in the disguise of an old Brahmin and suggested that such a wager should be undertaken only in the presence of a mediator. Both Arjuna and Anjaneya accepted the suggestion and repeated the contest under the mediation of the Brahmin. This time the bridge did not collapse. Anjaneya made a fervent prayer to Sri Rama to save Him from the situation when the Brahmin revealed the form of Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna told Anjaneya that it was a defeat neither for Arjuna nor for Anjaneya as it was a ploy made by Him to introduce Anjaneya and Arjuna to each other because He wanted Anjaneya to be present on Arjuna’s chariot during the Mahabharatha War. It was only then that both Arjuna and Anjaneya recognised each other.

Arjuna requested Anjaneya to seat Himself on the flag of his chariot. It was due to the presence of Anjaneya and Lord Krishna on the chariot of Arjuna, the prince devotee of Sri Krishna, that the Mahabharatha War ended in favour of the Pandavas. After the war, Anjaneya left the chariot and Sri Krishna asked Arjuna to alight from it. It was customary for the charioteer to alight first. But Arjuna obeyed Sri Krishna. When Sri Krishna also alighted from the chariot, it broke into pieces. It was the presence of Sri Krishna and Anjaneya that protected the chariot from the deadly weapons used against them by the Kauravas.

In Treta Yuga, after the Rama Ravana War, Sri Rama had promised Anjaneya that He would grant Him darshan in the Dwapara Yuga. His elder brother Balram took pride in that he was elder to Sri Krishna and that he was an expert in handling weapons, particularly mace and plough. Satyabhama, wife of Sri Krishna, thought high of her beauty and believed that it was her beauty that lured Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna had wanted to put an end to the pride of both Balram and Satyabhama.

He sent Sage Narada and Balram to invite Anjaneya to His abode. When Balram introduced him as Balram (which means a strong Ram), Anjaneya became angry because no Ram was greater than His Lord Sri Ram. Balram was beaten by Anjaneya very badly. Balram ran away from Anjaneya but returned with an army only to be beaten up again by Anjaneya. He again ran away from Anjaneya. This time Sri Krishna asked Balram to go to Anjaneya and inform Him that Sri Rama wanted to meet Him. Hearing the name of Sri Rama, Anjaneya hugged Balram and asked for pardon for all the trouble given to him. He took Balram on His shoulders and proceeded to Dwaraka.

At Dwaraka, Sri Krishna asked Satyabhama to dress up as Sita Devi and be ready to meet Anjaneya. She dressed up adoring all kinds of ornaments but Sri Krishna, not satisfied, sent her back. He then asked Rukmini to give darshan to Anjaneya as Sita Devi. Hearing the name of Anjaneya, Rukmini became very happy. In her enthusiasm to meet Anjaneya, she did not wear any ornaments except for a kumkum tilak on her forehead. Anjaneya entered the room and found Sri Rama and Sita Devi in place of Sri Krishna and Rukmini.

The moral is that divinity occupies the heart of those who are simple, devout, and non-egoistic.

As per Indian astrology, the seven and half year period (refereerd to as the ezhara sani, ezharattu sani or sade sathi) during which Saturn moves through the 12^th, 1^st, and 2^nd from the natal moon as well as the period when it moves through the 4^th, 7^th, and 10^th from the natal moon are bound to be very bad for the individual. The period when Saturn becomes retrograde is also considered inauspicious. Astrologers suggest, among other remedial measures, praying to Anjaneya during such periods. It is said that even gods have to undergo its evil spell at the prescribed periods.

According to a legend, when Sani approached Anjaneya to bring Him under his spell, Anjaneya caught him by the hair, dangled him in the air, and blew air on him. Anjaneya let him go only after a promise from him that he would never harm Him or those who pray to Him.

Scholars have offered different symbolic interpretations to the Ramayana. Sri Rama represents the embodiment of virtues. He acted His role as a dedicated son, a husband, a king, brother, a model citizen, and a good friend to perfection whereas Ravana represented the rajasic thamasic qualities in a person. According to one interpretation, when the animal instincts represented by Ravana concealed the consciousness represented by Sita Devi, the jivatma represented by Sri Rama, lost the goal of His life, Ayodhya. The two were brought together by wisdom, devotion and faith represented by Sri Anjaneya.

In another interpretation, Sri Rama represents pure consciousness or the paramatma and Sita Devi represents nature. According to Sankhya philosophy (Sankhya Darsana) propounded by Sage Kapila, nature is made up of three gunas (modes) which are in equilibrium. Guna means quality, but it is in the nature of energy. The three gunas are tamas (inertia, lassitude, and delusion), rajas (desires, passion, and action), and satwa (peace and knowledge). When this equilibrium is disturbed, the universe manifests itself, and the budhi (intelligence) and other evolutes manifest in man. When wordly desires arise he becomes rajasic. When he finds that these are futile, he craves for peace and knowledge, and becomes satwic. At a higher satwic state he comes by supernatural powers. When he transcends this satwic stage also the Great Insight dawns. Saints are those who have transcended the satwic state. The three gunas will be in varying proportions in different people. The proportions, however, can be altered by well-directed and conscious efforts.

When mind interacts with nature, the pure consciousness can not live in its source, represented by Ayodhya. It is forced to go to forest represented by the mundane life. It becomes extroverted and is diverted from Sri Rama (pure consciousness) to materialistic pleasures (the golden deer) represented by Mareecha, a close relative of Ravana (the ten senses). The paramatma’s greatness is forgotten for a while and the demoniac instincts are mistaken for the inner voice of the paramatma. By illusion, the mind worries about the safety of Sri Rama. Sita Devi (nature) asks tapasakti represented by Lakshmana to rescue Sri Rama. Tapasakthi draws a line cautioning the mind not to cross the limit. But when the tapasakti left, the mind represented by Sita Devi crossed the limit and was hijacked by the ten senses (the five pancha indriyas and the five karma indriyas) represented by the ten headed Ravana. The mind started wandering in the forest represented by Lanka. Lanka represents a rajas dominated mind.

Sita Devi became remorse and kept on contemplating on paramatma chanting the name of Sri Rama. Sri Rama sent His emissary Sri Hanuman as a token of assurance that divine intervention was forthcoming soon. Thus, Anjaneya represents the guru whose services are essential for self realisation. It also reveals that when the disciple is ready the teacher would arrive!

Yet another interpretation is that the union of jivatma and paramatma is possible only by meditation and breath control. Here breath is represented by Sri Hanuman, the son of Vayu, the deity of wind.

Kousalya represents icha sakthi, kaikeyi represents kriya sakthi and Sumitra represents jnana sakthi. The path of karma proceeds from icha (desire), through kriya (action) and ends with jnana (knowledge). Action represented by Kaikeyi grows to become instincts represented by Manthara, the servant maid. It becomes the cause for the prabdha. One should be very careful about such instincts.

Surpanakha represents the carnal urges in human beings. She was the sister of Ravana and both represented rajas. Kama esha krodha esha rajo guna samudh bhava: Bhagavad Gita - III-37. Desires often appear wearing a legitimate or attractive mask. Sri Rama rejected them and had to pay a heavy price in return but He won ultimately.

Sabari represents devotion. Ahalya represents a rocklike mind which was made sublime by a touch of divine consciousness.

The ogress that pulled Anjaneya by His shadow represents the materialistic memories from the past that people normally entertain. Anjaneya removed her by one blow. It means that one should remove such thoughts then and there in one stroke as they become obstacles to one’s spiritual progress.

Tataka, an ogress who was killed by Sri Rama while he was in forest with Sri Viswamithra, represents the initial obstacles a devotee/sadhaka would have during his/her spiritual pursuit.

The Ramayana depicts a human being (Sri Rama) appreciating a person born in a demon clan (Vibheeshana). It is a masterpiece of unity in diversity. Throughout the epic, Sri Rama moves shoulder to shoulder with Sabari (a low caste woman), Guha (a low caste boatman), Hanuman and Sugriva (monkey race), Jatayu and Sambathi (birds), and Jambavan (a bear).

Jatayu, who fought with Ravana and lost his life, became great by devotion to Sri Rama. Ego and arrogance represent the two wings of ignorance. Sambathi lost both his wings in the presence of Sun, representing jnana. The name of Jatayu became the cause for Sambathi’s enlightenment when he lost his wings of ego and arrogance.

Sri Anjaneya crossed the ocean with the power of Sri Rama’s name. It was the same power that made it possible for Him to do all the heroic deeds. In reality, the devout devotee who has broken all barriers between him and his lord are not different. Upasaka and Upasya are not different. Maruti and Maruthi Dasa are not different. In the absolute sense, Sri Anjaneya and Sri Vikraman Swami are not different.

In reality, the tamasic, rajasic, and satwic levels in an ordinary person would change from hour to hour and day to day. It is therefore necessary to balance them with personal efforts and the grace and advice of a guru. An ordinary teacher assumes the responsibility of merely informing the student whereas the guru takes up on himself the task of reforming him. As symbolised by Lord Anjaneya’s arrival in Lanka, when the disciple is ready (matured), that is, when the disciple has a genuine thirst for knowledge the guru would appear. We have today amidst us a sadguru Sri Vikraman Swamiji who is none other than the personification of the very same Anjaneya. His eyes are the eyes through which Sri Anjaneya sees you. His words are the advice from Anjaneya. His blessings are the blessings from Anjaneya that carry the power of Thaaraka Mantra. His sankalpa is the will and wish of Anjaneya. It is our fortune that we are all Vikramadasas.

Anjaneya : son of Anjana

Maruti : son of Marut, the deity of wind

Hanuman : the one with a double chin

Pavana Thanaya : son of Vayu, the deity of wind

Pavana Suth : son of Vayu

Pavana Puthra : son of Vayu

Vayu Puthra : son of Vayu

Vayu Thanaya : son of Vayu

Kesari Nandan : son of Kesari

Bajrangbali : one with a body as strong as the thunderbolt

Ramadas : servant of Sri Rama

Ramadooth : messenger of Sri Rama

Ramabhakth : disciple of Sri Rama

Ramnaam Vaala : one who is known by the name of Sri Rama

Kapishresht : the great monkey

Akshakumaranthaka : the killer of demon Aksha, son of Ravana

Partha Dwajaay : one who positioned on Arjuna’s chariot flag

Laanguli : the one with a tail

Lanka Mardhana : the one who destroyed Lanka

Mahaveer : the great hero of exceptional valour

Atmaram : the one whose soul is merged with Sri Rama

Vanaraveer : the valiant monkey

Vikram : the one of exceptional valour

By worship of Sri Hanuman, the servant of the Lord, we can rechannel our self-serving interests to become a selfless servant, and teach our consciousness to witness the movie of the divine lila, the drama of every day life with the similar conviction and strength as displayed by Sri Hanuman in all his endeavours. Hanuman puja, the worship of the blessed servant of the Lord, will fill our monkey minds with divinity. The orthodox system of Hanuman puja includes worship of Ganesha, Guru, Navagrahas, Siva, Durga and Sri Rama. The text includes the Hanuman Chalisa, Hanumath Badavanala Stotram, Sree Sankashta Mochana Stotram, Homa and offerings.

Mantras work on the theory of physical and emotional resonance. When one string of the guitar is plucked the next string will also vibrate due to physical resonance. Emotional resonance means that music influences feelings which in turn affects the health. All diseases are psychosomatic. Edgar Cayce has claimed that sound would be the medicine of the future. Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicines, refers to crystallization around muscle fibers due to stress which corresponds to unresolved emotional conditions. Specific pieces of music can resonate the crystallization patterns, thereby loosening them.

Man means profound meditation and tra means to expand or illuminate. Mantras were revealed to the sages in states of supreme consciousness or samadhi. It is said that there are 108 psychic centres in the human body with 108 wave lengths projecting from the brain. Perhaps this is the reason why mantras are repeated 108 times. Correct invocation of a mantra would effect an energy charge in the psyche which is transmitted to the body. It produces not only sound waves but also thought waves. Several muscles must operate to produce a sound. The main function of the mantra is to provide adequate exercise to the entire nervous system. When each phonetic sound activates the corresponding region of the body the mantra leads to the rhythmic pulsation of the nervous system.

There have been many such devotees, who have attained liberation through single-minded devotion and singing God’s glory. They include Azhwars, Nayanmars, Haridasas of Karnataka (Srinivasa Naik/Purandara Dasa, Kanaka Dasa, Vijaya Dasa), Jnanadev, Namadev, Ekanath, Tukaram, Samartha Ramdas, Narasimha Mehta, Mirabai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Akho, Kabir, Tulsidas, Raidas, Daadu, Sankaradeva of Assam, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Saint Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshithar, Sridhara Iyaaval of Thiruvisanallur, Upanishadh Brahmam of Kanchi, and many others. Sanath Kumara, Vyasa, Sukha Brahmam, Uddhava, Aruni, Maha Bali, Sri Hanuman, and Vibhishana followed the path of surrender.

About the Gopis (the cow maidens) of Vrindavan, the Srimad Bhagavatham says that, "They never learnt the Vedas; they never served any teacher; they practised no austerity; but by association with holiness, they attained Me." - Bhagavatham XI: 12-7 & 8. In an earlier canto, the Srimad Bhagavatham has revealed the different ways of attaining God’s grace. "The Gopis through desire, Kamsa through enimity, the Vrishnis through clannishness, the Pandavas through affection and the sages through devotion attained Him." - Bhagavatham VII:1-30.

Naama sankeerthan is said to be the most efficacious method of realising God in this Kali Yuga, where righteousness is on the decline. Words have tremendous power; they are potent forces that bring up great reserves of strength and wisdom. The present age is described in the scriptures as very conducive to Liberation for, while in past Ages, rigorous penance was prescribed as the means, the present Kali Age requires only Namasmarana to win Liberation. When the name of the Lord is remembered with all the glory that is associated with it, a great flood of happiness wells up in the mind. The Lord is full of bliss and in fact He is Bliss itself. All this bliss is to be experienced through the name.

Sage Vyasa remarked, "How fortunate are those destined to be born in the Kali Yuga! It is so easy to win the grace of God by namasmarana in the Kali Age." When questioned whether it was Ramanama that enabled Sri Hanuman to cross the ocean, Sri Rama replied that since His Body was called Sri Rama, the name that combines the Bijaaksharas of both Siva and Vishnu, He Himself was able to conquer Ravana and his hordes. Sankirtan (holy chanting) is the essence of the Vedas. The four Vedas originated from sound. There are four kinds of sound, namely, Vaikhari (vocal), Madhyama (from the throat), Pasyanti (from the heart) and Para (from the navel). Sound originates from the navel. The Vedas also originated from the navel. Sankirtan and the Vedas are born from the same source. Nama and Nami are inseparable. Nama means the name of God and Nami means that which is denoted by the Nama or Name. Nama is greater than the Nami; Nama is nothing but Chaitanya.

Anjaneya crossed the ocean with the power of Thaaraka Mantra. Valmiki rose from the level of a savage to a great sage with this mantra. Ahalya, Swayam Prabha, and Sabari got liberation with the mantra. The mantra protected Sita Devi from Ravana’s advances. Saint Tyagaraja is believed to have recited the Thaaraka Naamam of Sri Rama ninety six crore times and had the fortune of darshan of Sri Rama with Sita Devi, Lakshmana and Sri Anjaneya.

This is a hymn to the Sun God advised to Sri Rama by Sage Agastya. It forms part of the Yuddha Kanda of the Ramayana. During the battle, Ravana was whisked away by his charioteer to avoid being killed by Sri Rama. Sri Rama was aware of His divinity, but He wanted to assert only His human form and wanted to fulfil His missssion as an incarnation. It was in this situation that Sage Agastya gave this powerful mantra founded on the Vedic truth: Jivo brahmaiva naparah – That is, the individual self is identical with the Universal Self and is not different from it. Sri Rama killed Ravana after chanting this famous mantra.

Saint Tulsidas wrote this in Bhojpuri dialect in the sixteenth century. Light a ghee lamp, offer incense, and meditate on Sri Hanuman. This should be chanted eleven times on Tuesdays and/or Saturdays in a temple or in a clean room at home. This may as well be chanted one hundred times going round the peepul tree.

The other popular songs and mantras are:

• Raghurama Daasashtakam
• Sri Hanumath Sthuthi
• Hanumath Stotram – By Vibheeshana
• Hanumath Badavanala Stotram – By Vibheeshana
• Mantratmaka Maruti Stotram
• Sree Sankashta Mochana Stotram – By Kasi Peethadhipathi Sri

• Sri Hanumath Satruvasa Mantram
• Hanumath Kavacham
• Langula Upanishad
• Langulaastra Satrunjaya Hanumath Maalamantram
• Srimad Anjaneya Ashtothara Satanama Stotram
• Sri Anjaneya Ashtothara Satanaamavali
• Srimad Anjaneya Sahasranama Slokam
• Srimad Anjaneya Sahasranamavali
• Hanumath Ashtakam
• Hanumath Pancharatnam
• Stuthi Dasakam
• Sundara Kandam in the Ramayana
• Sri Hanumath Gayatri

It is part of the worship to offer flowers, fruits, foods etc to the deity. In the Bhagavad Gita (IX – 26), Sri Krishna says, "I accept a leaf, flower, fruit, or water or whatever is offered with devotion." Sri Kanchi Paramacharya in an interview said, "We first offer to Him all that He has given to us, in the shape of food, clothing, jewels, music, flowers, lights, incense, and son on, with the grateful consciousness that they are His gifts to us; and we receive them back from Him as His prasada." – The Jagadguru

A notable feature is that only items of satwic nature (that is, items which are of cohesively positive nature) are offered and some of these items possess healing power. Tulsi and turmeric have excellent antiseptic properties. Sandal paste used for smearing on foreheads has medicinal properties besides the power to cool the body. The water kept in a copper bowl distributed as tirth has the power to stabilise the electromagnetic vibrations in the body. Even the colour and fragrance of flowers used for worship contribute to curing psychosomatic disorders. The chanting of mantras which create a charge in the psychic field augments the worship.

This is a delicacy made of urud dal (black gram dal-Vigna Mungo) made into a garland. The story goes that Sri Hanuman who is always in meditation on Sri Rama gets disturbed by the Vada Maala and bestows any boon asked by the devotee so that He would not be disturbed again by the devotee. According to another legend, Anjaneya was given a very big vada by His mother on the eve of His departure to Lanka for the war so that He could eat out of it little by little whenever He felt hungry. Incidentally, Urud dal, the chief ingredient, is offered to appease Rahu, the significator of abnormal fears and snake curse etc.

Soondal: Cooked Bengal gram (cicer arietinum) added with salt, with or without coconut gratings

Butter: Butter is offered to Anjaneya especially when devotees undergo the adverse period of Saturn.

Curd Rice: Cooked rice added with curd

Beaten Rice: Also called aval, this is offered by adding sugar or jaggery, and coconut gratings.

Kesari: A delicacy made of rava, ghee, sugar, cashew nut, raisin, kesari powder etc.

Pongal: Cooked rice sweetened with jaggery.

Paanakam: A drink made of dry ginger, sugar etc. this should be offered on Swathi or Moola star days. This is a herbal drink.

Fruits and Nuts: Pine apple, Guava, dried grapes and malavaazha pazham, puvan pazham (two categories of plantain native to South India – musa paradisiace), and cashew nut. Cashew nut is rich in proteins and vitamin B and is an ingredient in many Sidha medicines.

Curd Rice: This is a good remedy for stomach ulcer. It is said that those desirous of issues should offer curd rice on five Thursdays or five Tuesdays. Persons with complaints of sugar and blood pressure should offer curd rice without salt and without seasoning it. This is an excellent food for those living in tropical countries, particularly for those with stomach disorders.

The significance of abhishekam to any deity is as follows:

Sandal Paste : for developing a cool mind and mental peace

Turmeric : for healing, recovery from diseases, and matrimony

Coconut : for curing asthma

Curd Rice : for curing ulcer etc

Cow’s Milk : for progeny, to ward off snake curse etc

Honey : for developing a good voice

Gold : for prosperity

Turmeric in the form of condiments is carminative, antiseptic, anti-flatulent, blood purifier and expectorant. It is used in pharmacy and confectionery. It contains carbohydrate, protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, niacin, and vitamin B2.

The story goes that when Sri Hanuman conveyed the message from Sri Rama, Sita Devi garlanded Sri Hanuman with a betel vine as a token of Her joy and appreciation, as she could not find any flowers nearby. Betel leaves should be made into a garland with a piece of arecanut in each leaf.

Anjaneya may be worshipped with jasmine flowers or tulsi on Thursdays.

It is believed that Sri Hanuman prefers to frequent places where this beautiful and fragrant flower abounds.

Tulsi, ocimum sanctum, is a herb extensively used for worship in temples and homes. Also called Holy Basil and Hoary Basil it has several medicinal properties. Tulsi is used in temples dedicated to Lord Krishna, Sri Rama, and Sri Hanuman.

Lotus is dear to Sri Rama. In the only temple dedicated to Bharatha, the younger brother of Sri Rama, in Irinjalakuda in Kerala too, garlands made of lotus are used. Sri Rama had equal affection for his brother Bharatha and Sri Hanuman. Lotus is also used for worship in Vishnu temples. Lord Krishna is also called the lotus eyed (Pankajaaksh).

The petals of lotus symbolise ripples on water surface representing action based on knowledge. When viewed from above, its petals would resemble the small ripples caused by throwing a stone into water. It also suggests that like lotus grown in slush, representing the mundane world, the human soul has to evolve into its eternal relation with God.

It is believed that when Sri Hanuman conveyed the message from Sri Rama, Sita Devi applied sindoor on Her head. Seeing it, Anjaneya became extremely happy and started rolling in sindoor. Sindoor is considered as a sign of victory. It is believed that the forehead of Sri Hanuman always shines with sindoor.

The days significant for worshipping Sri Hanuman are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Persons running the seven and half period of Saturn, the period of ashtama sani (Saturn in the eight from the natal moon) or kandaka sani (Saturn in the fourth, seventh or the tenth from the natal moon), are advised to worship Sri Hanuman on Saturdays. Others may worship Him on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

Sri Ramanavami

Sri Ramnavami is celebrated on the ninth day in March/April to commemorate the birth of Rama who is remembered for his preperous and righteous reign. Celebrations begin with a prayer to the Sun early in the morning. At midday, when Lord Rama is supposed to have been born, a special prayer is performed. The main attraction is a procession by a decorated chariot in which four persons are dressed up as Sri Rama, Lakshmana, Sita Devi, and Sri Hanuman. Several other persons dressed up as Sri Rama’s soldiers accompany the chariot.

Sri Ramnavami occurs at the beginning of summer when the Sun becomes closer to the Northern Hemisphere. The Sun is considered the progenitor of Rama's dynasty which is called the Sun dynasty. It is significant that the Sun is overhead and at its maximum brilliance at the hour chosen for the observance of His birth. In some Hindu sects, prayers on Ramnavami day start not with an invocation to Sri Rama but to the Sun.

As happens in the life of great heroes, many legends, beliefs, and local stories got associated with Sri Hanuman also.

Some believe that Sri Hanuman should not be worshipped at home because He is a celibate (Brahmachari). Then there is a belief that the picture depicting Sri Hanuman flying with the Sanjivini Mount should not be kept in homes because it would imply sickness. Then there is another belief that the picture of Sri Hanuman with the mace in right hand should not be kept in homes. Ideally, according to some, the best picture for keeping at home is the one with folded palms. These beliefs are borne out of wild imagination and being symbolic in nature do not entail fortune or misfortune. These beliefs are contrary to reality. For instance, it was Sri Hanuman, a brahmachari, who facilitated the rejoining of Sita Devi and Sri Rama. According to Sri Vikraman Swami one may keep any picture provided he has absolute faith. One need not worry about such matters unnecessarily.

Millions of people have heard of Sri Hanuman, the eternal servitor of Lord Rama. He is celebrated in many cultures, and different versions of His story appear in many languages. In China, He is known as Shun Wu Kong, the Wind Monkey. In Thailand, He is a central character in the Ramakiya, Thailand's most popular folktale. People know His history, and where He came from or how He came to have wonderful powers. There are many stories associated with Sri Hanuman but these millennia-old texts reveal His extraordinary life in bits and pieces. When the pieces are brought together they convey the story of a timeless superhero.

Pictures and idols of Anjaneya are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, China, Mauritius, Thailand, Burma, and Bali. In Cambodia, the story of Sri Rama is popular as Ramakirthi. The story of Anjaneya is enacted in Thailand. However, there are some minor differences in the folklore in these countries. In India separate Hanuman shrines are found in most temples dedicated to Sri Rama, Sri Krishna, and Sri Vishnu.

Rishyamooka Mountain - This is situated near Hampi on the Bellary Highway. The mountain is visible a little away from the Sri Virupaksha Temple situated at the middle of Hampi. According to legend, Sugriva stayed here along with Anjaneya out of fear of his brother Vali. It was here that Anjaneya introduced Sri Rama to Sugriva. The Tungabhadra River flows here in the shape of a bow. At Chakratheertha there is a temple devoted to Sri Rama, Sita Devi, Lakshmana, and Anjaneya.

Kishkindha - The Anegondi village on the banks of the Tungabhadra River is considered to be the Kishkindha mentioned in the Ramayana. It is believed that Sri Rama killed Bali on his battle with Sugriva on the other side of the river. There is a cave near the place where it is believed that Sri Rama and Lakshmana took rest after killing Bali. Behind the cave there is a mountain peak known as Hanuman Mountain. It is also believed that Anjaneya visits the mountain peak on Chitra Pournami and special days and many people have reportedly heard the roar of Anjaneya from this peak. Near this mountain peak there are three other peaks known after Sugriva, Thara, and Angada.

There is yet another belief that Hampi in Karnataka, the 14^th century capital of Vijayanagara kingdom in the Deccan heartland was the Kishkindha. It is notable that this place is inhabited by large number of monkeys.

Anjaneya Shrine in Sri Seetharamachandra Swamy Temple at Bhadrachalam in Khammam District. The temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, is situated on the left bank of the Godavari River. The uniqueness of the temple is that the deity here is a combination of both incarnations - Sri Rama with kodandam (bow) and Vishnu with his shanku (conch shell) and chakra (discus, as a symbol of destruction of evil). Also, unlike in other temples Sita Devi is seated on Sri Rama's lap. This shrine was visited by Kabir. This temple is called the Kaliyuga Vaikuntam.

The temple is associated with puranic and historic facts. According to a legend, a sage named Bhadra did intense penance until Treta Yuga was over and Lord Rama, who was an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was back to his original avatar. Pleased by Bhadra's devotion, He as Lord Rama as per Bhadra's wishes granted him liberation. This precisely explains the above mentioned description of the deity at Bhadrachalam. The hillock on which Bhadra Maharishi did penance and attained liberation got the name Bhadragiri or Bhadrachalam.

A few kilometers away from the temple is the Ushnagundam. It is said that from here Lakshmana had brought hot water for Sita Devi to bathe. Legend has it that Sri Rama's hermitage in exile was situated here at Bhadrachalam. Parnasala, 32 kms from Bhadrachalam is said to be the site of the hut where Sri Rama, Sita Devi and Lakshmana lived in exile and where Sita Devi was abducted by Ravana. This temple underwent renovation in the 17^th century.

Koormakshetram located 14 kms from Srikakulam has Sri Varahamoorthy as the main deity. It is believed that Adi Sankara, Ramanuja, and Madhwacharya visited this temple. There are eight ponds around the temple of which the third one by name Chakratheertha is believed to be the place from where the second avatar of Vishnu, as Varaha appeared. On the banks of this pond there is a separate temple for Veera Hanuman.

Guthenadeevi Temple at Mumbhidivaram Taluk on the banks of Godavari River in the East Godavari District initially had only an Anjaneya idol. It is believed that the walls of the temple started shaking as Anjaneya used to dance. After astrological consultations, some twenty-five years back, idols of Sita Devi and Sri Rama were also installed after which Anjaneya became calm. It is believed that the temple was consecrated by Sage Gautama.

Suparihanuman Temple in Aurangabad. The East facing Anjaneya idol here is swayambhu (uncreated or self-formed) and is believed to be growing.

Malyavan Mountain - This mountain is located northeast of the Srivirupaksha Temple. It is believed that Anjaneya handed over the Choodamani gem given by Sita Devi to Sri Rama at Pravarshanagiri, a place located on this mountain.

The towering statue of Sri Anjaneya on the Tirumala Hills

Veera Anjaneya Ganddi Kshetram, Chakrayapettah, Vemballi Via, Cuddappah

Sri Prasanna Anjaneya Swamy Temple, Pannamgadu Village, Tada Mandalam, Nellore District

The 62 feet statue at the outskirts of Samalkote

The idol at Mangalagiri with Lord Narasimha

At Kamalapuram near Hospet, there is a village by name Madhuvan which is believed to be associated with Sugriva.

Sri Rama Temple in Kondapur near Madhapur Village in Hyderabad. The temple has a Chaturbhuja Rama idol. That is, Sri Rama with four hands with conch and disc in two hands, and bow and arrow in the other two, with Sita Devi on His left lap (Vamangasthitha Janaki) and Lakshmana as He appeared to Sage Bhadra at Bhadrachalam. Hanuman is placed in an aestheically built Hampi-style chariot facing the main deity in a standing posture with hands folded. This temple is hailed as the Bhadrachalam of Hyderabad.

Anjaneya Temple in Bhimapur District in Assam

The Aanjana village in Ranchi is believed to be the place where Anjana Devi lived. It is believed that she gave birth to Anjaneya in a cave five kilometres from the village. Devotees worship idols of Bala Hanuman and Anjana Devi in that cave. A tribe by name Uraamva living in the village claim that they are the descendents of Sri Hanuman.

There is a Lakshmikara idol of Hanuman in Hanuman Nagar in Janakpur.

Anjaneya Shrine at Kalighat in Calcutta

Anjaneya Shrine at Alipore in Calcutta

Anjaneya temple in Hanuman Gali near Harrison Road in Calcutta. This temple is also called the Sidhapeetham.

Anjaneya Temple at Connaught Place in New Delhi

A modern temple has been built on Hanumantharayanagudda (Hanumanthnagar) which has imposing statues of Sri Rama and Hanuman locked in an embrace atop the shrine.

Hanuman Temple at Tekal near Kolar

Hanuman Temple at Annigeri near Hubli

Ragigudda Anjaneya Temple

Anjaneya Temple at Mahalakshmi Layout in Bangalore

Hanuman Temple at Seshadripuram, Bangalore

Anjaneya Shrine in Sri Balkrishna Temple in Udipi consecrated by Sri Madhawacharya

Anjaneya Shrine in Mookambigai Temple

Anjaneya Temple at Tulsigiri in Bijapur District. The trayodasi festival in November – December is important.

Hanuman Temple at Dharwad

Panchamukha Anjaneya idol (swayambhu) at Mantralayam consecrated by Sri Raghavendra Swami

Anjaneya Temple at Palaguru on the Sholapur – Hubli Railway line near the Alamatti Railway Station

In Nanjudeswara Temple at Nanjangud, the idol of Sri Hanuman on a pillar is believed to be growing over the years.

Sri Rama Temple at Triprayar in Thrissur District. The idol of Sri Rama is believed to be the one worshiped by Lord Krishna.

Sri Ramadasa Ashram, Chengottukonam, Trivandrum

Anjaneya Shrine in Thiruvilvamala on the banks of Bharathapuzha near Lakkidi Railway Station

Bhaktha Anjaneya Shrine in Thiruvangad Temple near Tellicherry

Anjaneya Shrine in Pampa on the way to the Sabarimala Tmple

Anjaneya Temple at Konathukunnu, near Irinjalakuda in Trichur District

Anjaneya Shrine at Tirumala Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple nearly one kilometre from the Narasimha Swami Temple at Thuravur in Shertalai Taluk in Alleppey District. Devotees pray here for curing diseases and mental imbalances.

Hanuman Temple at Kumbharbawadi is the family deity of Sri Shirdi Sai Baba.

Anjaneya Temple at Rahata, five kilometres west of Shirdi where Sri Shirdi Sai Baba appeared as Sri Hanuman to a devotee.

Anjaneya Shrine at Sri Venkateswara Balaji Temple at Walkeshwar in Bombay

Anjaneya Shrine in Mahabali Ashram in Manipur

Anjaneya has five shrines in Jagnnathpuri Temple. At the main entrance is the Makaradhwaja Hanuman Shrine. According to a legend, Kamdev entered the temple without the permission of Anjaneya and when he was stopped by Anjaneya, Kamdev engaged Him in a battle. Kamdev was defeated and had to flee from the place. The idol depicts a sword in the right hand and the left palm displays a victory sign.

The shrine to the east of the temple depicts Hanuman as Bhaktha Hanuman, the shrine to the west of the temple as Veera Hanuman, and as Jnana Hanuman in the shrine north of the temple.

Hanuman is considered the caretaker of the garden in Puri Temple. Anjaneya here is known as Suranga Hanuman. It is believed that Lord Jaganath visits the garden on akshaya trithiya day with the permission of Sri Hanuman.

Hanuman Temple in Bauda District

Gandhamadana Hills, 74 kms from Bolangir, is believed to be a part fallen from the Sanjivini Mount carried by Sri Hanuman. The Hill is abundant with herbs.

Bharath Anjaneya Mandap, Sadachar Mandir, Pilani

Hanuman Temple at Bhangarh near Alwar

Sri Vikraman Swami Puja Mandiram, Nanganallur, Madras

Yoga Anjaneya Temple at Kadikachalam, Sholinganallur. This is a rare idol of Anjaneya with four hands holding the Conch, Disc, and weapons. According to legend, Lord Vishnu deputed Anjaneya with His Conch and Disc to help King Indradyumna in his battle with the Kalakeya demons. The Sundays in Vrischika month (November-December) is of special importance here. Persons afflicted by evil spirits get cured by praying at this temple. There are over 300 steps to this temple. Facing the temple is the Yoga Narasimhar Temple situated on another hill just opposite.

Aadhivyadhihara Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple at Nanganallur, Madras. The granite idol is 32 feet tall and weighs over 90 tonnes. The base has a Panchamukha Anjaneya yantra. Aadhivyadhihara means one who destroys diseases.

Anjaneya Temple at Alwarpet, Madras

Anjaneya Temple at Royapettah, Madras

Anjaneya Temple at Triplicane, Madras

Aadyantha Maha Prabhu idol depicting half Vinayaka and half Anjaneya at the Madhya Kailas Temple in Adyar, Madras

Anjaneya Shrine at Vadapalani Temple, Madras

12 feet Anjaneya Temple at 53^rd Street, Ashok Nagar, Madras

The South facing Anjaneya Shrine in Mallikeshwarar Temple, inside the Police Training College campus, Ashok Nagar, Madras

Panchamukha Anjaneya Shrine in West Mambalam, Madras

Anjaneya Shrine at Siva Vishnu Temple, T.Nagar, Madras

Anjaneya figure carved on a pillar (depicting Anjaneya sitting on a seat made of His tail) near the entrance at the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, Madras

Anjaneya figure carved on a pillar near the shrine of Azhagiasingar inside the Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, Madras

Anjaneya Temple at Valsaravakkam, Madras

Anjaneya Shrine in front of the Parthasarathy Shrine, Triplicane, Madras

Anjaneya figure carved on a pillar near the entrance to the Tiruvatteswaran Temple, Triplicane, Madras

Anjaneya Temple, Mosque street and Perumal Koil street junction, Saidapet, Madras

Sri Ramanjaneyar Temple on GST Road, Tambaram Sanatorium, Madras

Anjaneya Temple, Masudi street, Mylapore, Madras

Bhaktha Anjaneya Temple at Korattur, Madras

The Satya Hanuman idol on the Chengelpet Fort wall

Anjaneya Temple at Padappa on Vandalur-Sriperumpudur Road

Anjaneya Shrine facing Kailasanathar, Kanchipuram

Sri Rama Bhaktha Veera Anjaneya Temple, Road around the Arunachala Hill, Thiruvannamalai

Anjaneya idol, in child form, near the Navagraha Shrine in Sri Arunachala Temple, Thiruvannamalai

Anjaneya Shrine at Srimushna, North West of Varahaswami Temple in South Arcot District. Here Anjaneya appears reading the Ramayana.

Anjaneya idol in Sri Rama Temple at Kumbakonam in a sitting posture on a pedestal made of His tail

Hanuman Temple at Ambasamudram in Tirunelveli

Sreekatu Hanumantharaya Swami Temple at Dharapuram near Karur

Anjaneya Temple at Hanumanthapuram six miles east of Sri Narasimha Swami Temple, Chengelpet

Sri Anjaneya Sthanumalayaswami Temple at Suchindram near Kanyakumari which has an idol 16 feet tall.

Sri Sundaravaradaraja Perumal Temple at Uttaramerur, 85 kms from Madras, dedicated to Lord Vishnu has Sundaravaradaraja (also known as Soundarya Varadaraja) Perumal as the presiding deity. The shrine of Sri Veera Anjaneya is right opposite. The idols of ulsavamurthis placed in front of the presiding deity include that of Sri Hanuman. Bhrigu, according to legend, had performed his tapas in Uttaramerur. There are two Dwarapalikakals instead of Dwarapalakas found usually in temples which symbolise the Ganges River and the Yamuna River. Just as the Prayag in Allahabad in the north, Uttaramerur is called Dakshina Prayag.

The Anjaneya idol carrying Sanjivini Mount at the entrance of the Kanyakumari Temple

The Anjaneya Temple at the foot of the Marutuamala Mount on Trivandrum – Kanyakumari Road. It is believed that this mount was formed when a portion of Rishabadri carried by Anjaneya fell down. The holy fire lighted here on the Karthika day in Vrischika month (November-December) is very famous.

Anjaneya Temple, Kallukuzhi, Trichy

Veera Anjaneya Temple on Putlur Road, Kakkalur

The 18 feet Anjaneya Temple at Namakkal, Salem

Anjaneya Shrine in Balaji Temple located 7 kms from Valparai - 64 kms from Pollachi.

Anjaneya Shrine in the Ramanathar Temple at Rameswaram. The idol, eight feet below the sea and eight feet above the sea, is believed to be a swayambhu (uncreated or self-formed). The temple is one of the twelve sacred Jyotir Linga sites located throughout the sub-continent of India, where Lord Siva is said to have manifested as a towering column of fire. Unlike the other eleven Jyotir Linga sites, Rameshvaram has two sacred Lingas instead of just one. Following a terrific battle on the island of Lanka in which Sri Rama killed Ravana, Sita Devi and Sri Rama returned to India. At the site where they landed, Sri Rama decided to install a Siva Ling to absolve him of the sin of destroying Ravana who was a Brahmin by birth. Lord Rama sent Hanuman to Mount Kailash to get a lingam from Lord Siva. Hanuman's journey took longer than expected however, and as the auspicious time of worship neared, Sita Devi quickly fashioned a lingam out of sand. When Hanuman arrived with a lingam from Kailash He was disappointed to find another lingam already installed. To please Hanuman, Sri Rama installed the stone lingam beside the sand one and ordered that all worship should henceforth be given first to the Visvalingam brought by Hanuman, and only then to the Ramalinga made by Sita Devi.

The temple, near the seashore, has 100-feet towers, and is renowned for its magnificent corridors with massive stone pillars. It is understood that more than ten thousand pilgrims visit the temple daily, making it one of the most visited sacred sites in Asia.

Jaya Veera Anjaneya Temple at Sethukkarai, Ramnad District

Anjaneya Shrine in Sankara Math near the sea shore at Rameswaram

Saakshi Hanuman Temple at Ram Jharokha, on the way to Ramarpadam at Rameswaram is open 24 hours where soondal (cooked black gram) is given as prasad (food sanctified by offering to the deity) 24 hours. According to legend, it was here that Lord Hanuman informed Sri Rama that He met Sita Devi at Lanka. Hence the name of the temple. Saakshi means witness.

Adi Jagannatha Temple at Tiruppullani near Ramanathapuram in Ramnad District forms a part of the Sethusthalam associated with the Ramayana and it enshrines Sri Rama in a reclining pose on a bed of darba grass. Its praise has been sung by Saint Tirumangai Alwar. Adjacent to the idol of Sri Rama is a beautiful idol of Anjaneya.

Thallakulam Anjaneyar Shrine in the Prasanna Venkateswara Temple in Ramanad District

Near Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, there is an oblong stone which is believed to be and worshiped as Sri Hanuman’s tail. It is believed that it was here that He kept His tail on the path of Bheema.

Three faced idol of four feet high at Anantamangalam in Tanjore

Panchamukha Hanuman in Chakrapani Temple in Tanjore

Anjaneya Temple at Santhaveli near Valangaiman, about 20 kms from Kumbakonam in Tanjore District

The eight feet idol of Sri Hanuman at Dharapuram, with His tail facing up

Hanuman Ghat Anjaneya Temple at Ayodhya on the banks of the Sarayu River. There are two mounts named after Sugriva and Angada south of the temple.

Jnana Hanuman Temple at Hanuman Baug

The swayambhu (uncreated or self-formed) Anjaneya idol in the temple near Triveni Sangam at Prayag.

Sri Hanuman Guffa at Tulsi Mandir, Tulsi Ghat

Sankatamochana Hanuman Temple near the South Hindu Vishwa Vidyalaya in Varanasi. Chitra Pournami is observed as a significant day here.

Hanuman Temple near the Sri Vinayaka Temple in Badrinath

Bala Hanuman Temple, known as Hanuman Pathak, on a mount North West in Varanasi. The temple is believed to be consecrated by Sant Tulsidas.

Five kilometres from Koditheertham is Hanumandhara (also called Patala Ganga Theertham) at Chitrakutam in the midst of mountain ranges. Water flows down the mountain, fills two ponds and falls over an idol of Sri Anjaneya, hence the name Hanumandhara. According to a legend Sri Rama asked Anjaneya to cool his tail in Chitrakutam which was still hot after He burnt down Lanka.

Anjaneya Mela at Aligarh in Lucknow. Lucknow was originally called Lakshman Puri. Hindus and Muslims participate in the Mela. According to a local legend, the temple was built by Muhammed Ali who ruled Lucknow as a mark of gratitude for being blessed with a child. The ruler who did not have a child was advised by his spiritual mendicant, Sri Baba Swami, to pray to Anjaneya.

Anjaneya Temple at Sri Simhapuram at Vrindavan. It is said that when Aurangazeb ordered demolition of the temple, Govindadevaji, the person in charge of the temple, prayed to Anjaneya and scores of monkeys appeared on the walls of the temple. The soldiers ran away scared and Aurangazeb not only withdrew the order but also gave assistance for the development of the temple.

Ayodhya – Allahabad – Chitrakoot – Bithur is called the Ram Van Vaas route.

According to Swamiji, it is the same supreme power that is worshiped in different names and forms. Temples, churches and mosques are but places set up by people for congregational worship. Be it a church or a mosque or a temple the objective is to pray to the same supreme power. Some of the reputed churches, mosques, and other places of worship in India are mentioned below.

Medak Church, Medak

Padri-ki-Haveli, Patna

The Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chhota Nagpur

Se Cathedral, Old Goa

Basilica of Born Jesus, housing the mortal remains of St.Francis Xavier

Church & Convent of Santa Monica, Old Goa

Reis Magos Church at Verem, Betim

St.Jerona’s Church of Mapusa – Church of Our Lady of Miracles

Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, Panaji

El-Bethel Tabernacle, Bangalore

Gospel Prayer Hall, Bangalore

The First Assembly of God Church, Bangalore

Banaswadi Bible Church, Bangalore

St.Mary’s Cathedral, Bangalore

St.Mark’s Cathedral, Bangalore

St.John’s Church, Bangalore

St.Patrick’s Church, Bangalore

Ebenezer Marthoma Church, Bangalore.

The Marthoma Church, Bangalore

St.Aloysious College Chapel, Mangalore

Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Shimoga

St.Joseph’s Cathedral, Chikmagalur

All Saints Church, Dharwad

Niranam Church, Tiruvalla (associated with apostle St.Thomas)

Puthenpally, Kottayam

Valiapally, Kottayam

Cheriapally, Kottayam

St.Mary’s Church, Kottayam

Bharananganam Church housing the mortal remains of Sister Alphonsa

St.Francis Church, Cochin – The oldest European Church in India

Santa Cruz Cathedral, Cochin

Malayattur Church, Malayattur

Koratti Church, Koratti

Puthenpally, Trichur

Marthoma Church, Pune

St. Thomas Marthoma Syrian Church, Santacruz, Mumbai

Marthoma Church, Nagpur, India.

New Jerusalem Church, Mumbai

Don Bosco Church, Matunga, Mumbai

The Agnes Ashram, Bandra, Mumbai

St.Michael’s Church (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), Mahim, Mumbai

Karol Bagh Marthoma Church, New Delhi.

St. Peter's Marthoma Church, Delhi

Jerusalem Marthoma Church, New Delhi

San Thome Cathedral Basilica, St.Thomas Mount, Madras

Our Lady of Health Church, Little Mount, Madras

St.George’s Cathedral, Cathedral Road, Madras

St.Mary’s Cathedral, Armenian Street, Madras

St.Mary’s Church, Fort St.George, the oldest Anglican Church in the East

St.Andrew’s Church, Egmore, Madras

Velankanni Church, Besant Nagar, Madras

Velankanni Shrine, 90 kms from Tanjore

Schwartz Church, Tanjore

The Church of Zion, Chidambaram

Kandal Cross Shrine at Ooty, also known as the Calvery of Tamilnadu – Annual festival on 3^rd May

Church of England, Landour, Mussoorie

St.Paul’s Cathedral, Calcutta

St.John’s Church, Calcutta

St.Andrew’s Church, Calcutta

St.Thomas’ Church, Calcutta

Masjid-e-Azam, Cuddapah

Jama Masjid, Adoni, Kurnool District

The Safa Mosque, Belgaum

Jama Masjid, Bijapur

Jama Masjid, Gulbarga

Ek-Minarki Masjid, Raichur

Madayi Mosque, Kannur

Jama-at Mosque, Malappuram

Jama Masjid, Sanguem

Safa Masjid

Namazgarh facing Bicholim town

Dargah of Syed Malani, Mangalore

Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah, Gulbarga

Dargah of Peer Shan Shamsuddin Kharobat, a Baghdadi Saint

Jumma Masjid, Mangalore

Jumma Masjid, Bijapur

Jumma Masjid, Gulbarga

Haji Ali Dargha, near Mahalaxmi Temple, Mumbai

Jama Masjid, built by Shajahan in 1658, is the largest mosque in India.

Nizam-Ud-Din Shrine, a tomb of Sufi saint Nizam-Ud-Din Auliya

Quadam-i-Rasool, Cuttack, with three mosques is a pilgrim centre for Hindus and Muslims.

Dargah Sharif at Ajmer, the shrine of the Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, better known as Gharib-Nawaz. In 1256 AD at the age of 114, the saint entered his cell to pray in seclusion for six days, at the end of which he passed away. The Urs fair is held to commemorate these six days. Pilgrims of all faiths come from the world over to attend the Urs, since the shrine is considered a place of wish-fulfillment for those who pray with a pure heart.

Nagore Dargah, 88 kms from Tanjore, the tomb of Hazarat Meeras Sultan Syed Shahabdul Hameed, also known as Hazarat Mian. Annual festival in August/September.

Hamid Aulia Dargah, Kanchipuram

Hazarathsa Burhana Aulia Dargah, Kanchipuram

Tombs of Sufi saints Syed Ali Fathima and Hazarat Shaik Mohamed at Athankarai Pallivasal, 30 kms from Valliyur on Tiruchendur- Kanyakumari Coast Road in Tirunelveli District.

Dargha of Hazarat Syed Moosa Sha Khaderi, Mount Road, Madras

The Big Mosque, Wallajah, Triplicane, Madras

Thousand Lights Mosque, Mount Road, Madras

Periamet Mosque, Sydenhams Road, Madras

Mothi Baba Dargha, Egmore, Madras

Nakhoda Mosque, Calcutta

Jama Masjid, Lucknow

Jama Masjid, Kulri Bazar, Mussoorie

Jama Masjid, Landour Bazar, Mussoorie

Masjid Nalapani, Dhobighat, Mussoorie

Dargah of Hazarat Chisti, Agra

Jewish Synagogue, Cochin

Bahai Temple, Delhi

Udwada, near Dahanu, housing the sacred fire of Parsis

There are hundreds of temples, mosques, churches, synagogues, and other centres of worship dotted across the length and breadth of the country. Only few of these important centres are mentioned here for obvious reasons. However, it is not to be construed that those not mentioned here are less important than those that are mentioned. Any information from readers in this regard would be welcomed.

Sri Vyasaraya Tirtha, Sant Tulsidas, Sri Raghavendra Swami, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Samartha Ramadas, Chatrapathi Sivaji, Saint Tyagaraja, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahans, Swami Vivekanand, and Sri Shirdi Sai Baba were great devotees of Sri Anjaneya. Sri Madhwacharya is considered the third incarnation of Vayu.

Dvaita, the philosophy propounded by Sri Madhwacharya, has been graced by several divine personalities. Vyasaraya was a prominent figure in what is considered as the golden-age of Karnataka. He was born at Bannur on the banks of the Kaveri River in Karnataka in 1447. The baby grew up under the care of Bramhanya Tirtha and later, he was sent to Sripadaraya Swami, a great saint, for further training in philosophy. He is regarded as the incarnation of Prahlada. Devotees also believe that he re-incarnated as Sri Raghavendra Swamy.

He was the Royal Pontiff to the emperors of Vijaynagar; Sri Krishnadevaraya, the great emperor of Vijayanagar was his staunch devotee. Once, Vyasaraya foresaw that the emperor would come under the bad influence of planets known as Kuha Yoga. The king sought guidance from his spiritual mentor, who advised him to ‘give away’ the kingdom to him during the specific period. To protect his devotee, and the empire, he himself ascended the throne during those evil moments. The king obeyed and the saint occupied the throne. The upper garment of Sri Vyasaraya caught fire and he threw it away. The ill effect of the planets was thus warded off and the king was saved from the clutches of death. Hence in recognition of this gesture, even today a court is being held daily in the evenings in the Math established by the saint. Later, he handed the empire back to the emperor.

He cast off his mortal body in 1539, at the ripe old age of 92 years. His resting place is Nava-Vrindavana, located on an island in the Tungabhadra River, near Anegondi, very close to Hampi.

He wrote Pranava Nodirai, Mukya Prana Padirai, and Sadguna Charita on Sri Hanuman. He has also given 732 instances (prana prathikas) like Varijavadana samiraja kapi nrupa dvijana bhavi ajana explaining the three manifestations of Sri Madhwacharya. He went on a padayatra (pilgrimage on foot) and installed 732 idols of Sri Anjaneya in different parts of the country. The Anjaneya Temple at Nallattur in Tiruttani Taluk in Andhra Pradesh is one such temple. He blessed Sri Purandara Dasa and Sri Kanaka Dasa and made Dvaita philosophy to spread all over through Kannada language.

Tulsidas was born in 1532 to a Brahmin family in the town of Rajapur. His father Atmaram was an official in the ministry of Akbar, the mughal ruler. He suffered separation from his parents at a very young age and was not taken care of by relatives. He met some saints who advised him to surrender to Lord Rama. He got associated with a Hanuman temple and ate whatever was given to him. He got married to a woman named Ratnavali. Once his wife went to stay with her parents for a while. Tulsi, unable to bear the separation, hurried to meet her. Ratnavali admonished him that he should have loved Sri Rama with the same fervour instead of being lured by flesh. Tulsi contemplated on this remark and left all connections with the family life.

While seeking alms, he came to the house where his wife and father-in-law lived, but he could not recognize them. Recognising him, his wife food. When she insisted that he partake spices like pepper, salt etc, he replied that he had spices in his possession. Early next morning, when Tulsidas was preparing to leave the house, his wife requested him to take her with him. But he said that he had renounced family life. Ratnavali remarked in anguish that he was a strange renunciate who carried spices with him but not his own wife. He recognized the folly of being attached to food, and threw away all possessions and migrated to Kashi.

Scholars opine that the Ramacharitamanas would never have been written but for Ratnavali's remarks. Atlast he had the vision of Sri Hanuman and Sri Rama along with Sita Devi, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Satrughna. Sri Rama advised Tulsidas to narrate His story with the help of Sri Anjaneya. He wrote the famous Ramacharitamanas, also known as the Tulsi Ramayan, and Hanuman Chalisa.

Nabhaji, the author of Bhaktamala, writes that Tulsidas was an incarnation of Sage Valmiki born again to explain the Ramayana in the vernacular language. The Ramacharitamanas and the Ramayana are both biographies of Lord Rama and naturally, there should not be major differences between the two. Tulsi is an independent poet who created a world using metaphors and similies which though overall consistent with Valmiki's rendition differs considerably in many places.

He belongs to the Dvaita tradition established by Sri Madhwacharya. He was the head of the Math during 1623-1671 and was a prolific writer on the scriptures and works of the Dvaita school. He is believed to be the reincarnation of Sankukarna who offered flowers for Brahma's worship of Lord Narayana in His divine abode. The Lord willed that the glory of this faithful devotee be known to the world. In the Krita Yuga he was born as Prahlada, in Treta Yuga as Vibhishana and in the Dwapara as king Bagaliga. In Kali Yuga, he was born as Vyasaraya first and then as Raghavendra. Named as Venkatanatha by his parents, he joined the service of the Math when Sudindra Theertha was the pontiff. He became known as Raghavendra Swami and entered Jiva samadhi on the banks of the Tungabhadra River at Mantralayam in 1671. The Panchamukha Anjaneya idol at Mantralayam was consecrated by him.

It is said that Lord Rama once appeared in the dream of a woman called Pokala Sammakka and informed her about the existence of idols on Bhadragiri. To her astonishment, the idols were found on the hill and she got a modest structure built at the place. The temple, dedicated to Lord Rama, is situated on the left bank of the Godavari River at Bhadrachalam in Khammam District. The uniqueness of the temple is that the deity here is a combination of two incarnations - Sri Rama with kodandam (bow) and Vishnu with his shanku (conch shell) and chakra (discus, a symbol of destruction of evil).

Later, Gopanna, a Tahsildar in the court of Abdul Hassan Tana Shah, spent the tax revenues lavishly to renovate the temple to its present form. He was a fervent devotee of Lord Rama. In order to embellish the t