Mumbai observes Hanuman Jayanti with religious fervour
Last week, as Mumbai commemorated the first Ram Navami following the consecration of the grand temple in Ayodhya, the city also marked Lord Hanuman’s birth anniversary with grandeur. Hanuman Jayanti was celebrated on a larger scale across the city temples, featuring recitals of Sundarkand, Hanuman Chalisa, and Ramayana.
On Tuesday, devotees thronged Hanuman and Ram temples throughout the city. From early morning, people participated in ceremonies to honour the birth of Lord Hanuman, traditionally observed at twilight when both the sun and the moon are visible in the sky.
“Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on the day of Chaitra Shukla Paksh Purnima as the birth anniversary of Lord Hanuman. He is considered as the bhakta of the highest order. On this day, people enact Hanuman Janma, perform abhishek, fast, recite Hanuman Chalisa and listen to Ramayana,” said a pandit. The idols were given a bath with panchamrit and dressed up with new clothes and ornaments. At 6.17am, Hanuman Janma was observed and delicacies like fruits and nuts were offered as bhog to the god and distributed among the devotees.
At the Ram temple in Padhye Wadi, Dadar, devotees were present early morning and again in the evening. People also participated in the kirtan organised by the temple trust in the morning.
Karishma Salunkhe from the temple management said, “Since it was not a government holiday, devotees visited the temple in the morning and then in the evening after office hours.” At Juhu beach, a sand artist Laxmi Goud created a giant statue of lord Hanuman, which became the centre of attraction for tourists.