Chaitra Purnima is the first Purnima in the year ..
All Purnima days have something special to celebrate for. Hanuman Janmaustav falls on Chaitra Purnima day and this day is celebrated as birth anniversary of Hanuman.
People worship Prabhu Satyanarayana, an extremely benevolent form of Prabhu Maha Vishnu, and observe Satyanarayana fasting on this Purnima day.
Chaitra Purnima is the widely accepted day in most North Indian states to observe the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman.
Lord Hanuman is an ardent devotee of Lord Rama and He is the central figure of Hindu epic Ramayana. Hence the origin of the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman goes back to Era of Lord Rama. Hence, it is difficult to find the exact time of Hanuman Jayanti as it is getting observed since ages (as per some unconfirmed records Lord Hanuman was born approximately 1 crore and 85 lakhs years before).
It is believed that Lord Hanuman was born during Chaitra Purnima just after sunrise on weekday Mangalwar. In Orissa, Hanuman Jayanti is observed during Vishubha Sankranti which is also known as Mesha Sankranti / Pana Sankaranti.
Jayanti and Janmotsav are used for the day of celebrating a birthday, but both are used in different contexts. Jayanti is used for a person, who was born in this world, lived life, and died. While Janmotsav implies the Birthday Celebration of an individual who is in this world.
Tuesday and Saturday are the days which are dedicated to Lord Hanuman and it is believed that devotees who offer prayers to Lord Hanuman on these days, get blessed with all the happiness, health, wealth and prosperity.
Why Is Lord Hanuman’s Birth anniversary Celebrated Twice A year ? Hanuman Janmaustav is a significant festival in Hinduism that celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman, who is considered to be the eleventh avatar of Lord Shiva. He is said to be one of the greatest devotees of Lord Ram. The fact that only Bajrangbali has a seat in the Ram Darbar proves this.
Hanuman Janmaustav is observed on the full moon day of the Hindu month Chaitra. However, Hanuman Jayanti is also observed on the day of Pana Sankaranti .
All of us have been confused about the occurrence of Hanuman Jayanti once and Janmaustav in another day. Let us learn the story behind the celebration of Hanuman birth anniversary twice in one year.
The birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman is only observed once, however, Hanuman Jayanti is observed the second time on the day of Pana Sankaranti.
The issue now is, why is Hanuman birth anniversary celebrated in the month of Chaitra? As we all know, Lord Hanuman was endowed with Ashta Siddhiyas and Nine Nidhis, which made him extremely powerful. So much so that he could fly through the air.
It is believed that once as a kid, Lord Hanuman born on the day of Pana Sankaranti was so hungry that he swallowed Lord Surya, or the Sun, thinking of it as a fruit based on his own abilities. At the same moment, Rahu arrived to swallow the Sun, but when he saw Lord Hanuman swallowing the Sun, Rahu notified Devraj Indra. Lord Indra was furious, and to punish Lord Hanuman, he struck him with a thunderbolt.
The lightning struck Lord Hanuman’s beard, causing him to collapse. When Lord Pawan saw his son in such difficulty, he became enraged and shut down the entire universe’s life force. Everyone was shocked and outraged, and there was uproar everywhere. Later, Lord Brahma went to Pawan Dev and brought Lord Hanuman back to life on the full moon night of the month of Chaitra. Hence, since Hanuman had a rebirth on that day, it is celebrated as the second birth anniversary.
Meaning of the name Hanuman
The origin of the name Hanuman is still unclear. However, there is an interpretation of the name related to Lord Hanuman’s jaw. Since Lord Hanuman was hit on his beard or chin by Lord Indra’s thunderbolt, he had woken up with a wounded jaw. Hence, the meaning of ‘Hanuman’ is said to be ‘the one with the disfigured jaw.’
This year Chaitra Purnima/ Shri Hanuman Janmaustav will be celebrated on Tuesday, 23rd April, 2024.
– by Pandita Lokanath Mishra