Hanuman Jayanti 2026हनुमान जयंती
Hanuman Jayanti 2026 is on Thursday, April 2, 2026. The story of his birth and the sun, the sindoor chola, the Hanuman Chalisa and Sundarkand path, and the vrat.
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The story of Hanuman Jayanti
Anjana had kept tapasya for years for a son, and the wind carried to her the sacred payasam of Dasharatha’s yagna; so Hanuman was born of Anjana and Kesari, and of Vayu, the wind itself. As an infant he saw the rising sun, mistook it for a ripe fruit and leapt into the sky to eat it. Indra struck him down with the vajra and broke his jaw, from which the name Hanuman comes; Vayu withdrew the breath of the worlds in grief until every god came to give the child a boon. Then, so his power would not be misused in childhood, the rishis laid on him the forgetting of his own strength, until someone who needed it would remind him.
That reminder came at the shore of the sea, when Jambavan told him who he was and he crossed to Lanka in a single leap. He is the one who carried an entire mountain because he could not tell which herb was the sanjeevani (the sanjeevani katha), who tore open his own chest to show Rama and Sita seated in his heart, and who is believed to be chiranjeevi, still present wherever the Ramayana is read aloud. Hanuman Jayanti is his appearance day, kept on the Chaitra Purnima in most of India.
How Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated
| Path | the Hanuman Chalisa, Sundarkand and Bajrang Baan are read, often forty times or through the whole day. |
| Sindoor and chola | sindoor mixed with chameli oil is offered, recalling the day Sita explained why she wore it. |
| Bhog | boondi laddoo, banana, and a whole tulsi leaf garland; many keep a fruit fast through the day. |
| Seva | feeding monkeys, offering to the needy, and Tuesday or Saturday temple visits carry the same vow forward. |
The North keeps it on Chaitra Purnima; Tamil Nadu and Kerala keep Hanumath Jayanthi in Margazhi (December to January); Karnataka and Andhra keep it in Vaishakha or on Hanuman Vratam; and Maharashtra reads the entire Sundarkand at dawn.
Hanuman Jayanti checklist: what to arrange in advance
The non-perishable samagri you can order ahead of the day. Each link opens an Amazon search for that item in your own country’s store.
Fresh items, flowers, fruit, sweets and leaves, are best bought from your local market on the day.
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Frequently asked questions
When is Hanuman Jayanti in 2026?
Hanuman Jayanti is on Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Chaitra Purnima.
Why is Hanuman Jayanti kept on different dates in the South?
Different traditions record his appearance in different months. The North follows Chaitra Purnima, Tamil Nadu and Kerala follow Margazhi, and parts of Karnataka and Andhra follow Vaishakha. All are keeping the same Hanuman, on the day their line has always kept.
Why is sindoor offered to Hanuman?
Seeing Sita apply sindoor for Rama’s long life, Hanuman covered his whole body in it so that Rama might live longer still. The chola of sindoor and oil repeats that devotion.
What is read on Hanuman Jayanti?
The Hanuman Chalisa above all, and the Sundarkand of the Ramcharitmanas, which is his own chapter: the crossing to Lanka, the finding of Sita and the burning of the city.
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Dates are verified against authoritative Panchang sources (Drik Panchang, New Delhi). Traditions vary by family and region; for muhurat and puja vidhi please also consult your family panditji.