I want to be like Him..!

Evil Dead is a scary movie. Eight year olds should stay away from it. The rotating heads stick in your brain and give you nightmares. A kind smile, an assuring pose, bulging muscles and a rib-breaking mace is all you need by your side to enjoy a sound sleep.

Shashank Chouhan

Evil Dead is a scary movie. Eight year olds should stay away from it. The rotating heads stick in your brain and give you nightmares. Then things that go 'bump' at the night seem like evil witches lurking under your bed. A kind smile, an assuring pose, bulging muscles and a rib-breaking mace is all you need by your side to enjoy a sound sleep. That’s Lord Hanuman for you. Hanuman is the ultimate saviour for every trembling child as well as adult. Story telling sessions with grandma extolling the magical prowess of Hanuman have been a part of India's culture.

Although a part of the pantheon of Hindu Gods with animal features (like Ganesha, Narsimha), Hanuman is unlike your everyday boon granting lord. The Sun is only a leap away for the little Hanuman who merrily eats it like orange. Adorable!!

On every full moon day of Chaitra (April) He becomes the B'day boy. It is believed that He was born from the same divine pudding that was eaten by the wives of King Dasrath which led to the birth of Lord Ram and his brothers. Hanuman's mother Anjana was blessed by Lord Shiva to have a son that would be his avataar. And thus she had Hanuman.

Stories of Hanuman's legend abound. When Lord Ram was going to be born, Brahma asked the Devatas like Indra & Sun to take birth as monkies for serving Ram. The mighty Vayu (Wind God) took the form of Hanuman. Thus we say "Hail Pawanputra!"

Hanuman is also a legend in China and Thailand where He is celebrated in the folklores.

And oh, He can fly too. He remained blissfully unaware of this 'trait' for many years, because of the curse of an irritated mendicant, who was troubled by the little Hanuman. Nothing serious though; the lad just lifted the poor meditating sage in air. Naughty, eh?

But as they say everything has a time for it. Hanuman was reminded of his flying talents just when the army of Ram had lost all hope of locating Sita. Enter a flying Hanuman who crossed the Indian Ocean in a leap, dodged some heinous looking monsters, delivered Ram's message to a Sita who simply couldn't believe a monkey could be so sweet and then burnt the golden Lanka down with His tail.

Truly there is no character like Hanuman in our entire mythology. Hanuman is the Lord of devotees, a master of 'Dasya bhaav', (servitude to the Divine). When Sita presented Him with a pearl necklace, Hanuman bit every pearl and broke the necklace saying He could not find His dear Lord in the stones!

Ever wondered why 'sindoor' is an offering to the 'Bal brahmchaari' (celibate)? Well the story goes that once Hanuman saw Sita applying sindoor on her head, He asked her why did she do that? Sita answered that it made Ram happy. That was the mantra for Hanuman who smeared Himself in sindoor and presented Himself to Ram. The Lord was so happy at Hanuman's devotion that he declared: "Whoever smears Hanuman with sindoor will receive my special grace."

And that’s Hanuman. Magnificent, powerfully built, sea of devotion, mountain of faith, Lord of the wrestlers, Guru of all those on the divine path and yet so simple - happy in chanting His Lord's name, benevolent on those who do the same.

Bureau Report