Who is Lord Hanuman?

In Trinidad and Tobago now stands a Murti dedicated to Lord Hanuman that towers over eighty feet high. Ironically the Hanuman Murti and  Mandir is of South Indian design while most Hindus in Trinidad and Tobago are of Northern Indian ancestry. This, however, does not diminish the devotion of Hindus from Trinidad and Tobago as well as the rest of the Western Hemisphere. Indeed the Murti is reputed to be the largest Murti of Lord Hanuman outside India. 

Lord Hanuman holds a special place of reverence for Hindus of Trinidad and Tobago. The Ramayana figures predominately in the religious life of Hindus here and as such Lord Hanuman towers spiritually in Trinidad. Of the pujas the early indentured performed, one was the Hanuman puja with the other being the Satnarayan puja. The late Ramkisson Badloo, a 98-year-old resident of the Sangre Grande area, related that the early indentured performed the Hanuman puja, as Hanuman Baba was the remover of obstacles. The Indians, surrounded by a hostile and harsh environment, sought refuge in religion. Thus from an early period in the Indian presence in Trinidad, Hanuman Baba was dear to the Hindu heart. It was only later as the Indian began to prosper then Lakshmi puja was performed among the Indian community. One can perhaps trace the development, successes and struggles of the Hindu population along the lines the pujas performed.

What is disquieting has been some of the comments made against the religious symbols particularly from the Christian fundamentalist community. On two particular radio stations (one on the AM frequency and the other on the FM frequency) callers have openly called for the destruction of the Hanuman Murti and criticised what has been termed  the “Hinduising of the national landscape”. In this flurry of zealotry, there is an immediate need to explain to non-Hindu Trinidad what Lord Hanuman represents. “Hanuman” By Sri D Ramkissoon relates that Sri Hanumanji is an incarnation of Lord Siva. “Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods) had an attendant by the name of Punjikasthala who was cursed to assume the body of a female monkey. The curse was to be removed on her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Siva. Accordingly, she was born as Anjani and, together with her husband Kesari, lived a life of chastity and purity. She performed intense austerities for a great many years, during which period she worshipped Lord Siva who being pleased with her granted her a boon. She asked that Lord Siva be born to her so that she may be freed from the curse.”

“When Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya was given the sacred payasa by Agnideva to share among his wives so that they may have divine children (Ram, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna), by divine ordinance, a bird (kite) snatched a fragment of that pudding and, whilst flying over the forest, dropped it where Anjani was engaged in worship. Pavandev (the deity presiding over the wind) delivered that fragment of pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjani who immediately swallowed it. With that grace, she, in due course, gave birth to Hanumanji. Thus we find that Lord Siva incarnated as Hanumanji in the bodily form of a monkey through the grace and blessings of his god-father Pavandev, with Anjani and Kesari as his earthly parents.” Sri Hanumanji met Sri Rama whilst Sri Rama was in banishment. Sri Rama, together with his brother Lakshamana, was searching for his wife Sita who was abducted by the demon Ravana. The story of Hanumanji is inextricably interwoven with that of Lord Rama, and is exhaustively dealt with in the Ramayana of Valmiki and the Ramacharitamanas of Goswami Tulasidas.

It was only through Hanuman that Sita and Rama could be reunited. Similarly, it is through the lessons that we find in his character that the realm of divinity can become of creation. Sita represents the earth, the field, Mother Nature, creativity, abundance. Rama is the spiritual potential, which has been lost from creation. Hanuman is the forces and teachings that can reunite the creation and spirit, leading to the manifestation of the divine in life itself. The lessons in the character of Hanuman are the keys to unfolding divinity in our lives. On Chaitra Shukla Purnima, i.e., the full moon day of March-April, Hanuman Jayanti (the birth anniversary) is celebrated where there are Hindus. The birth anniversary of Hanuman is celebrated with great religious fervour. Devotees observe strict fast, offer prayers and puja, and read the Ramayana and the Hanuman Chalisa. The Hanuman Chalisa is one of the most popular prayers said today. It is a set of 40 verses, written by Goswami Tulsidas. The Hanuman Chalisa was written by Goswami Tulsidas to be a beautiful prayer and song, yet also to contain hidden in it the entire message of Hanuman in the Ramayana. These are the secrets of creating divinity in life, which if learnt, are reaffirmed into our minds each time it is recited.

Lord Hanuman is the deity seen as the provider of courage, hope, knowledge, intellect and devotion. He is pictured as a robust monkey holding a mace (gada) which is a sign of bravery and having a picture of Lord Rama tatooed on his chest which is a sign of his devotion to Lord Rama, Hanumanji is said to be Chiranjivi (immortal) and is present in the world even today. He is the link between the devotees and God, for, as instructed by the Lord, he serves, protects and inspires the servants of God. Saints like Tulsidas had the darshan (divine vision) of the Lord through the grace of Hanumanji. Saturday is the day of Hanuman, and some people fast on Saturday in honour of Hanuman. Lord Hanuman though a boon given to him by Sri Rama will remain on Earth and be the presiding Deity of Kaliyug — the present dark-age. Perhaps the Hindu Community should once more focus all of its pujas on Lord Hanuman given the recent assaults on Hinduism by Christian fundamentalist groups.