Hanuman Jayanti, marking the birth of one of Hinduism's most universally beloved deities, closes out Chaitra Purnima with a celebration that draws on a genuinely enormous devotion…
Hanuman Jayanti has ancient roots in Hindu devotional tradition, with the date and specific rituals varying somewhat by region and tradition, though the core celebration of Hanuman's birth and his devotional example has remained consistent across many centuries of observance.
The festival celebrates Hanuman's birth and specifically honours the qualities of devotion, courage, strength and selfless service he is understood to embody throughout the Ramayana, making him a particularly accessible and widely revered figure across Hindu devotional life.
Hanuman is described in the Ramayana as the son of Anjana and the wind god Vayu, whose devotion to Rama during the search for Sita and the war against Ravana — including the leap to Lanka and the retrieval of the Sanjeevani herb to save Lakshmana's life — established him as the archetype of selfless, powerful devotion.
Observed with particular intensity at major Hanuman temples including Salasar Balaji and Hanuman Garhi in Ayodhya, both documented elsewhere in this project, with regional variation in the exact date of observance depending on whether Chaitra Purnima or another reckoning is followed.
Devotees observe fasts, visit Hanuman temples, and recite the Hanuman Chalisa throughout the day; many temples hold continuous readings and devotional singing sessions, with sindoor (vermillion) applied to Hanuman idols as a specific act of devotion.
Continuous recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa is the day's central devotional practice, alongside application of sindoor to Hanuman idols and offerings of specific foods believed to be his favourites.
Hanuman temples are decorated for the occasion, often with particular attention to the sindoor-covered idol at the centre of the day's devotional focus.
Boondi laddoo is traditionally offered to Hanuman and distributed as prasad, understood as one of his favoured sweets.
2026 date: April 2 (Thursday). Falls on Chaitra Purnima.
