HANUMAN

Hanuman originated in a Dravidian past and was accepted into the Aryan age. He is also known as Maruti, Pavanaputra and Anjaneya. In the Ramayana, India’s second epic written by Valmiki in the 3rd century BC, we meet Hanuman as a Commander in Chief, of the army of King Sugriva (a Monkey King).

The son of a wind god Vayu, Hanuman uses his ancestry and his ape like agility to help Rama win the war against Ravana.

Rama and Hanuman had first met when they had fought as fellow warriors for King Sugriva. They restored Sugriva to his kingdom. An ever grateful Sugriva offered Rama the services of Hanuman to help find Rama’s wife, Sita. Sita had been abducted by Ravana. Rama had been unable to find her and sought Hanuman’s help.

Sita was imprisoned in Lanka, Ravana’s kingdom an island off the southern tip of India. Brandishing his mace, Hanuman took a single leap across the gulf separating the two countries and located Sita. The demons of Lanka tried to trick Hanuman. They set fire to his tail, hoping to distract him, Hanuman turned his tail on the city and set Lanka on fire, burning the demons to cinders.

During the battle, General Hanuman swung the war in Rama’s favour. When Lakshmana was wounded, Hanuman flew to the Himalayas for the medicinal herb Sanjeevani. Unable to identify the Sanjeevani, he wrested the entire mountain from the land and carried it to Lakshmana.

Today people celebrate his strength, and agility in temples consecrated to Hanuman.