Birth of Lord Hanuman.
Hanuman Jayanti celebrates the birth of Hanuman, the vanara deity born to Anjana and Kesari with the blessing of Vayu, the wind god. He is the greatest devotee of Lord Rama and the very image of strength, courage, humility and selfless service. Loved as Bajrangbali, Maruti, Pavanputra and Sankat Mochan, the remover of troubles, he is born on the full moon of Chaitra, just five days after Ram Navami, binding the devotee forever to his Lord.
On this day temples ring with the Hanuman Chalisa and the Sundarkand. Devotees apply a chola of sindoor mixed with oil to the murti, offer red flowers, laddu and boondi, and light lamps. Many keep a fast and recite the forty verses of the Chalisa, asking Hanuman for strength and protection against every trouble. Tuesday and Saturday, the days dearest to him, draw the largest crowds to his shrines.
For Gujarat, the heart of Hanuman worship is the Kashtbhanjan Dev temple at Salangpur in Botad district, one of the most revered Hanuman temples in the state. Kashtbhanjan means the crusher of sorrows, and the murti, installed in 1905 by Gopalanand Swami, is believed to free devotees from fear, evil spirits and suffering. It is unusual in being a Swaminarayan temple, of the Vadtal Gadi, where Hanuman rather than Swaminarayan is the presiding deity. On Hanuman Jayanti and on Saturdays, lakhs of devotees gather here for darshan, abhishek and the chanting of the Chalisa.
Hanuman Jayanti 2027 is on Tuesday, 20 April 2027, the full moon of Chaitra (Chaitra Purnima). It falls five days after Ram Navami, and Tuesday is itself a day dear to Hanuman.
A loved story tells that when Hanuman saw Sita apply sindoor for Rama’s long life, he smeared his whole body with it out of devotion. So devotees offer Hanuman a chola of sindoor mixed with oil to please him and win his blessings.
The Kashtbhanjan Dev Hanuman temple at Salangpur in Botad district is among the most revered in Gujarat. Part of the Vadtal Gadi of the Swaminarayan Sampradaya, it draws lakhs of devotees, especially on Hanuman Jayanti and Saturdays.
No. Hanuman Jayanti, his birth anniversary, is on Chaitra Purnima. In Gujarat there is also a Hanuman puja around Kali Chaudas during Diwali, but that is a separate observance; the birth celebration is the Chaitra Purnima one in April.