5 Ways To Celebrate Hanuman Jayanti at Home
We give you five simple ways to celebrate Hanuman’s birthday at home.
Hindus have many gods and goddesses to worship and many ways to worship them. For instance, apart from the daily Poojas performed at home, Hindus also tend to celebrate the birthdays of the gods in a grand manner. They do this to connect with the deity and invoke their blessings. Hanuman Jayanti is Lord Hanuman’s birthday. The monkey god, Hanuman, is familiar to us from the epic Ramayana, where he helped Rama to defeat Ravana.
He is a huge devotee of Rama and is known for his strength and prowess. He also has many powers which he received as boons from the gods in heaven. For instance, he can change his size from big to small, and he is immune to the dangers of fire and water. All these gifts came in handy when he had to help Rama in his fight against the demon king of Lanka, Ravana.
Hanuman Jayanthi is celebrated on the 15th day of Shukla paksha. This is a period of 15 days during the Moon’s waxing phase in the month of Chaitra. Hanuman Jayanti is a major festival in the Hindu calendar.
On this occasion, special Poojas and Homas are arranged in Hanuman temples. But during the pandemic lockdowns, most people had to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti at home. Even though it may not be a very grand celebration, it is possible to celebrate the festival at home. We give you five simple ways to celebrate Hanuman’s birthday at home.
Decorate the Idol
Show your respect and affection for Hanuman by taking some pains to decorate the idol. You can use flowers or garlands for this purpose. You don’t even have to step out of home to buy flowers, as you can buy them from online shopping sites or home gardens. Pour some ghee or mustard oil in a lamp and light it. Light some incense sticks too.
While doing the above, chant the Mantras of Hanuman like Hanuman Chalisa or Beej Mantras to please him. You can also offer Abishekam with for his idol with ghee. This is a simple and easy method to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti at your home. Make sure that all the family members take part in the worship.
Observe a Vrat/Fast
Another way to celebrate Hanuman Jayanti at home is to observe a fast/vrat. Begin the fast at sunrise and end it the next morning. Fasting is also a way to connect with your favorite deity. It purifies your mind and body and makes it more receptive to the divine vibes. The gods are very pleased when you fast for them, as it shows your devotion to them.
To observe the fast, wake up at Brahma Muhurtham (4 am), and have a bath. Wear fresh clothes, worship the sun, and do Pooja for Hanuman. Then begin the day-long fast. End the fast when Hanuman Jayanti gets over. Break the fast with a vegetarian feast after worshipping Hanuman. During the fast, you can have some prasad that has been offered to Hanuman.
Apply Orange Tika on your Forehead
Another way to show respect to Hanuman is to apply an orange tikka made of vermilion/sindoor paste on your forehead. For extra luck, apply the tikka once the Pooja gets over. Usually, when Hindu religious rituals conclude, devotees apply some sindoor on their foreheads.
The orange tika is special for Hanuman as he smeared vermilion all over his body to show his devotion to Rama and to ensure his longevity. At all Hanuman temples, one is given sindoor. The sindoor is believed to bestow good luck. You can do this when you worship Hanuman at your home.
Prepare Milagu Vadai
If you are celebrating Hanuman Jayanti festival at home, you can prepare and offer Milagu Vadai to the idol of Hanuman. Making the Milagu Vadai is quite easy. All you need are urad dal and some onion, whole pepper, etc.
Why is Milagu Vadai special? Since ancient times, devotees have been offering ghee and Milagu Vadai to Hanuman as he likes them. To make the vadais, just soak some urad dal in water for 1 hour and grind it into a smooth batter (using very little water) with salt. Add some chopped onions and whole pepper. Then shape them into rounds, put a hole in the middle of each round and deep fry them in oil.
Read/recite the Holy Scriptures
Reading the Holy Scriptures like the Mahabharata and Ramayana is a great way to celebrate Hanuman Jayanthi at home. You can read these holy books along with your loved ones. It creates a lovely atmosphere of family bonding and devotion. You can also recite Hanuman Mantras and the Hanuman Chalisa.
Many devotees read the Sundara Kandam section of the Ramayana as it describes Hanuman’s childhood and his antics. By doing all of the above, one can please Lord Hanuman. Make your Hanuman Jayanti celebration memorable and attract his blessings by following the above rituals.
