The Story of Hanuman

Hanuman is one of the most popular god worshipped across India. What makes him easily distinguishable from other gods is that he is always depicted as a monkey smeared with saffron powder or paste. People who are not familiar with the Indian culture get puzzled that why are people worshipping statues and paintings of a monkey.

In this post I will covering the story of Hanuman, how was he born, why is he worshipped all over India and share some interesting stories related to him.

How was Hanuman born?

There are several stories linked to the birth of Hanuman but the version which is most widely accepted is the one linked to Anjana eating the sacred pudding created for the birth of Ram.

The story starts when king Dasharath conducts a grand ritual to please the gods so they bless him with powerful sons to rule his vast kingdom after him. Once the ritual is complete the sacred offering of a sweet pudding which was blessed by the gods was given to the three queens of the king. While it was being served to the queens a piece of the pudding is snatched by a Kite who flys away with it and drops it over a dense jungle. Anjana a monkey was worshipping Vayu the god of wind in the jungle. The moment Anjana concludes her worshipping the piece of sacred pudding lands on her hands. She considers it a blessing from Vayu and eats it.