Hanuman Jayanti 2027 हनुमान जयंती

Why Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated

Hanuman Jayanti honours the birth of Lord Hanuman, son of Anjana and Kesari, also called Pavanputra, the son of the wind god. For crores of Hindus he is the model devotee: enormously strong, yet always humble and fully given to the service of Lord Ram. Devotees pray to him for courage, good health, a clear mind and protection from fear and evil.

Hanuman is also believed to be a Chiranjeevi, one of the seven immortals of Hindu tradition. Devotees hold that he lives on wherever the story of Ram is told, which is why many people feel he answers prayers quickly. Many Shaiva traditions see him as a form of Lord Shiva, born to help Vishnu's avatar.

The festival carries a simple lesson for daily life. Strength is worth something only when it serves others, and knowledge and power should go with modesty. Students pray to him before exams, wrestlers before a bout, and travellers before a long journey. Truck drivers, soldiers and night watchmen often keep his small image close at hand.

History and story of Hanuman Jayanti

The Ramayana and the Puranas tell that Anjana, a celestial woman born on earth as a vanara, prayed for a son, and that Vayu Dev, the wind god, carried a divine blessing to her. Her child was born strong and restless.

The best loved story of his childhood comes soon after. One morning the hungry baby saw the rising sun glowing red and took it for a ripe fruit. He leapt into the sky to catch it while his mother Anjana and Vayu Dev watched in alarm. Indra, king of the gods, feared for the order of the world and struck the child with his vajra, the thunderbolt. It hit him on the jaw, "hanu" in Sanskrit, and the boy fell to earth. According to tradition this is how he came to be called Hanuman.

Vayu Dev was grief stricken and angry. He withdrew the air from the three worlds, and every living being began to choke. The gods rushed to calm him and healed the child, and each gave a boon. Indra made his body as hard as the vajra, Brahma and others made him safe from weapons and curses, and Surya Dev gave him a share of his own light and later became his teacher.

As a boy Hanuman played pranks on the sages, and they caused him to forget his powers until someone reminded him. That moment came in the Ramayana, when Jambavan recalled his strength and Hanuman crossed the ocean to find Sita in Lanka.

How Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated

Many North Indian traditions hold that Hanuman was born at sunrise, so temples open before dawn and the main puja is held early in the morning. Devotees bathe, wear clean clothes, often red or saffron, and visit a Hanuman temple. The idol is bathed and covered with fresh chola, a coating of sindoor mixed with jasmine oil, and dressed in a red cloth.

People recite the Hanuman Chalisa, often 11 or 108 times, and read the Sundarkand of the Ramcharitmanas, the chapter that tells of Hanuman's journey to Lanka. Some temples hold an Akhand Ramayan path that runs for a full day. Many devotees keep a fast and break it after the evening aarti. Some families light a lamp of mustard oil or ghee before his picture at home, tie a red thread on the wrist, and read the Bajrang Baan or Hanuman Ashtak for protection. Tradition advises keeping the day free of meat, alcohol and quarrels.

Offerings include boondi or besan laddoo, jaggery with roasted chana, bananas, red flowers and garlands of tulsi leaves. Shobha yatras with large Hanuman images, saffron flags and drum groups move through towns, and akharas hold wrestling bouts in his honour.

Symbols, food and customs of Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman's mace, the gada, stands for strength used with control and for the protection of the good. Pictures show him with the gada on his shoulder, carrying the Dronagiri mountain, or tearing open his chest to reveal Ram and Sita in his heart, an image of complete devotion.

Sindoor is his special colour. A popular story says that young Hanuman saw Sita putting sindoor in her hair parting for Ram's long life, so he covered his whole body with it out of love for Ram. This is why his idols are orange red and devotees take a dot of sindoor from his feet as blessing. The saffron flag with his image flies over many homes and temples.

Boondi laddoo is the best known prasad, along with besan laddoo, jaggery and roasted chana, bananas and halwa puri at bhandaras. In the South devotees offer vadai garlands, butter and betel leaf garlands.

Tuesday and Saturday are his weekly days, and many people visit his temple on these days through the year. Children are often dressed as Bal Hanuman for school events and processions.

Hanuman Jayanti across India

The Chaitra Purnima date is followed across most of North, Central and West India. In Maharashtra the birth is celebrated at sunrise with kirtan, and Anjaneri near Nashik is revered by many as his birthplace.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala celebrate Hanumath Jayanthi in the month of Margazhi, in December or January, on the day of the Moola nakshatra. Temples such as the Anjaneyar temple at Namakkal offer garlands of vadai and coat the idol with butter.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, devotees begin a 41 day Hanuman deeksha on Chaitra Purnima, wearing saffron and keeping strict discipline. The deeksha ends on Vaishakha Krishna Dashami, usually in May or June, which is the main Hanuman Jayanti there. In Karnataka many devotees keep the Hanuman Vratam on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi, and the Anjanadri hill near Hampi is linked with his birth. Odisha marks his birth on Pana Sankranti, the Odia New Year in mid April, and shares a cool pana drink.

Some North Indian traditions, including the Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya, celebrate Hanuman Jayanti on Kartik Krishna Chaturdashi, the day before Diwali.

In Uttarakhand, Hanuman temples in Dehradun and hill towns hold bhandaras and Sundarkand readings. The villagers of Dronagiri in Chamoli remember the legend that Hanuman carried away part of their mountain for the Sanjeevani herb.

Offices, banks, markets and travel during Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti is an observance, not a public holiday in India. It does not appear on the central government holiday lists, and offices and banks usually stay open.

Hanuman Jayanti is not on the central government holiday lists in our records, and no state or bank holiday for it appears in our database. Government offices, banks, schools and stock markets normally stay open. State government and RBI holiday lists for 2027 have not been published yet, so check your state list closer to the date. Private employers may allow leave on request.

In 2026 the festival falls on Thursday, 2 April, and in 2027 on Tuesday, 20 April. A Tuesday date, Hanuman's own weekday, usually brings bigger crowds at temples. Expect long queues from early morning at well known Hanuman temples, and traffic diversions on routes taken by shobha yatras in the afternoon and evening. Sweet shops see heavy demand for boondi laddoo, and flower and sindoor sellers set up stalls outside temples. Many temples and community groups run free bhandaras, so streets near big temples stay crowded until late evening. Plan short trips in the morning before processions begin.