Hanuman is called the God of Strength, Bhakti and Knowledge. He is also called the God of Victory and Celibacy. Hanuman is the supreme protector of his devotees and destroyer of evil. He mounts a camel, uses the weapon mace (Gada) and his abode is Earth (Prithvi). Hanuman Jayanti is the festival celebrated in his worship. Devotees chant the Om Hum Hanumate Namah mantra while worshipping Hanuman.
In Hinduism Hanuman is Lord Rama’s ardent devotee. In Sanskrit he is called Nithya Brahmachari or the ideal celibate. In the Ramayana epic of India, Hanuman is one of the main characters. Various Puranas and texts like the Mahabharata have mention of Hanuman. His parents are Kesari and Anjani and his is also the son of Pawan – the wind god. Known to have complete mastery over his senses, he is the quintessential yogi having attained a disciplined lifestyle. Actions performed by him are with complete detachment and hence is a perfect yogi as well. Selfish motives do not deter him and he acts as an instrument of destiny.
Hanuman is viewed as a symbol of resistance to persecution and a symbol of nationalism, a perfection combination of assertive excellence, heroic initiative, strength, emotional and loving devotion to Rama his personal God as Bhakti and Shakti. He is the common name of the semi-man, semi-ape man– vanaar god. Hanuman is known by various names like Bajrangbali, Pawansuta, Maruti and Mangalmurti. The name Hanuman comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Han’ which means ‘destroyed’ or ‘killed, while maana means ‘pride’ implying that Hanuman is ‘The One who destroys false pride’.
