Introduction
There is no village or town In India without a temple dedicated to Hanumantha. An
unforgettable character in the great epic, the Ramayana, he has become the symbol of
courage, loyalty and mature wisdom.Author -
M.Shreedhara Murthy
Hanumantha
There is no village in India without a temple of Hanumantha.
In bigger towns and cities, there are countless temples of Hanumantha.
Men and women, the young and the old, people of all ages and of all professions worship
Hanumantha. Students pray to him for intelligence and soldiers for strength. In olden days
there used to be temples of
Hanumantha at the gates of forts. The gymnasium of wrestlers invariably have his picture.
Every human being has good qualities and bad qualities. But, people believe God has no bad
qualities.Our ancestors have taught that every one should develop his good qualities and
go nearer God. Divinity or being God is only being full of noble qualities. In our country
some men and women have later come to be honored as divine beings, winning the reverence,
the devotion and the love of the common people. Hanumantha is one such great soul.
The great poet Valmiki who wrote the 'Ramayana' has said that Hanumantha belongs to the
tribe of 'Vaanaras'. This would mean he was one of the animals living on trees. Many
believe that Hanu- mantha and his companions were in reality human beings. Generally,
Hindus have thought of Hanumantha as a monkey. Hanumantha has become another name for
intelligence, physical strength, pleasing speech, tact and discretion.
According to legend, Hanumantha is the son of the Wind God. Air sustains all living
beings. One can exist without food, spend days without water; but it is impossible to
exist even for a short time without air. Air is life. Therefore, Hanumantha is also called
'Pranadeva or the God of Life. Some people believe that Bheema and the
philosopher-teacher Shri Madhwacharya were incarnations of Hanumantha.
Hanurnantha was a master of music. He was also an expert in dance and drama. So musicians
and actors worship him with love and devotion. He was also a great yogi or mystic. He
became holy by his service to Lord Shri Rama and was blessed with Rama's embrace.He was
one of the greatest of God's devotees.
Hanumantha was a great Indian who was born and grew up in Kishkindha in the south; he flew
from Lanka to the Himalayas several times; then settled down in Ayodhya. Thus he is a
symbol of India's unity.That is why he is worshipped in every nook & corner of India
from Rameshwara in the southern tip to the Himalayas on the
north. |
