Devotees distributed sweets, Hanuman Chalisas on Wednesday.
Arun Gohil and his son stood in the heat of the afternoon to distribute the 1,000 Hanuman Chalisas they were carrying. Others stood at the gates of temples, distributing sweets or holding the footwear of other devotees to express their devotion on Hanuman Jayanti, which was celebrated on Tuesday.
“It is a way of spreading devotion,” said Gohil, explaining his philosophy. “Informing people about dharma is one of the biggest tasks. Lord Krishna ensured that dharma survives and there is no God more devoted than Hanuman. This way we stay devoted and a lot of people get to know about dharma and stay connected. Without dharma, there is nothing in life.”
Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman, the monkey god who is venerated throughout India. Hanuman is known everywhere as an ardent devotee of Rama, and is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the lord. He is also worshipped for his strength and as a dispeller of all problems and difficulties in life.
While some worshipped Hanuman for strength and for the power to keep moving, others simply paid obeisance, a few prayed for peace and harmony, and still others just came to thank the god for their lives.
“I come here every year,” said Jyoti Kantharia, a resident of Nallasopara near Virar who had come all the way to the Hanuman temple on Picket Road at Marine Lines. “This time we prayed for peace in society. There are so many blasts in which innocent people are killed. We prayed that something like this never happens again.”
Hetal Pandya was among those who fasted apart from going to the temple. “I fasted because it is considered to be good for husbands,” she said. Ghanshyam Gupta, another devotee, said, “I come to Hanuman for the peace of my soul. I come for inspiration and leave everything up to him.”
Some devotees made offerings without knowing much about their significance, simply keeping faith in God that he would be there to help them when they needed him. “I offer oil because everyone does,” said Preeti Jadhav, a resident of Prabhadevi. “Don’t really know the significance, but I believe God will protect me. Amongst Hindus, if we ask why a certain thing is done, the answer often is that we don’t know and our ancestors did it, so we too do it.”
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