Worship Ram's servant through Ram
Hanuman's whole identity is his devotion to Shri Ram, and his worship follows from that. The tradition says he is most pleased not by elaborate ritual but by Ram's name: wherever the Ramayana is recited, Hanuman is believed to be present. So a Hanuman puja always begins by remembering Ram, and it values steadiness, discipline and courage more than lavish offerings.
When to do it
- Tuesday and Saturday are his days, in the morning or after dusk. See Tuesday Hanuman Bhakti.
- Hanuman Jayanti, which most of north India keeps on Chaitra Purnima.
- During Sade Sati or a hard Shani period, Saturday Hanuman worship is the most widely recommended remedy.
- Before a journey, an exam or anything that needs courage.
What you will need
- A picture of Hanuman, ideally with Ram, or Ram darbar
- Sindoor mixed with jasmine (chameli) oil, and a little red cloth
- Red flowers, a garland, and a few tulsi leaves
- A ghee or jasmine-oil lamp, incense
- Naivedya: boondi or besan laddoo, or jaggery with roasted chana
- A copy of the Hanuman Chalisa or the Sundarkand
Step by step
- Prepare. Bathe, wear clean clothes (red or saffron are traditional), and sit facing east or north on a clean mat.
- Ganesh and Ram. Offer a flower to Ganesha, then bow to Shri Ram and say "Shri Ram, Jai Ram, Jai Jai Ram" a few times.
- Sankalpa. With water, akshat and a flower in your right hand, state your name and your prayer, then let the water fall.
- Sindoor. Apply a tilak of sindoor-and-oil to Hanuman's picture (or offer it before the image), and drape the red cloth.
- Flowers. Offer red flowers and the garland, with the tulsi leaves.
- Lamp and incense. Light the lamp and show incense.
- Bhog. Offer the laddoos or gud-chana.
- Mantra. Recite the Hanuman Namaskar Mantra or chant the Hanuman Gayatri Mantra 108 times.
- Path. Read the Hanuman Chalisa, once, seven times or eleven times. On Tuesdays many add the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Ashtak, the Bajrang Baan or a reading of the Sundarkand.
- Aarti. Sing the Hanuman Aarti.
- Close. Ask forgiveness for any mistake, bow, and share the prasad.
Things to keep in mind
- Purity and restraint. Hanuman is a lifelong brahmachari. On his days, devotees keep the body and mind clean: no alcohol or non-vegetarian food, and calm speech.
- The chola. Covering the murti with sindoor (the chola) is a temple rite. At home, a sindoor tilak on the picture is enough. In many temples the chola is offered only by men by custom; women worship fully with flowers, lamp, chalisa and aarti.
- Bajrang Baan is a forceful prayer for protection in serious trouble. Many families keep it for times of real need rather than daily recitation.
Frequently asked questions
Can women worship Hanuman?
Yes. Women read the Hanuman Chalisa, keep Tuesday fasts and sing his aarti across India. The only common custom is that the full sindoor chola in temples is offered by men.
How many times should I read the Hanuman Chalisa?
Once daily is a complete practice. Seven or eleven readings on Tuesdays and Saturdays, or a hundred on a special vow, are traditional.
What is offered to Hanuman?
Sindoor with jasmine oil, red flowers, tulsi, and boondi or besan laddoo or jaggery with chana.
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