Hanuman Jayanti 2027

About Hanuman Jayanti

Hanuman Jayanti, also called Hanuman Janmotsav, marks the birth of Hanuman, the devotee of Rama in the Ramayana. Most of North India keeps it on Chaitra Purnima, the full moon of Chaitra, which in 2027 falls on Tuesday, 20 April 2027. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, the Telugu states and Odisha each keep their own date.

Hanuman may be the most widely worshipped figure in Hindu homes who is not himself the hero of his story. In the Ramayana he is Rama's messenger and servant, yet his temples outnumber Rama's in many towns, and truck drivers, wrestlers and students before exams all pray to him. His birthday is kept on more different dates than almost any other Hindu festival.

When is Hanuman Jayanti, and why do the dates differ?

Hanuman Jayanti falls on different days because regional calendars and temple traditions remember his birth differently. In North India, Maharashtra and Gujarat, the date is Chaitra Purnima, the full moon of Chaitra, usually in March or April. Other regions hold to older local reckonings.

The page date is the North Indian one. Because the full moon can begin in the middle of a day, panchangs follow the tithi at sunrise, and many people believe Hanuman was born at sunrise, so the temple rituals start early.

Janmotsav or Jayanti?

Both names are correct and widely used, but some devotees and priests now prefer Hanuman Janmotsav. Their reasoning: "Jayanti" is used for the birth anniversary of someone who lived and died, while Hanuman is counted among the *chiranjivi*, those believed to live until the end of this age. "Janmotsav" simply means birth festival. If you know the recipient prefers one term, use it; otherwise either is respectful.

What is the story behind Hanuman's birth?

In the tradition, Hanuman was born to Anjana and Kesari, a vanara chief, with Vayu, the wind god, as his divine father; hence the names Anjaneya, Kesarinandan and Pavanputra. One popular story says the infant leapt at the rising sun, taking it for a ripe fruit, and was struck on the jaw by Indra's thunderbolt. The name Hanuman is often explained from *hanu*, jaw.

Where he was born is disputed, and the disagreement is real. In 2021 the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams declared, after a committee of scholars reported, that Anjanadri near Tirumala was the birthplace. Karnataka's Hanumad Janmabhoomi trust holds that it is Anjanadri hill near Hampi, the Kishkindha of the Ramayana. Anjaneri near Nashik and Anjan village in Jharkhand's Gumla district have their own claims. Each has living temple traditions, so a message need not take sides.

How is Hanuman Jayanti observed?

On Hanuman Jayanti, devotees go to temples at dawn and stay for readings of the Hanuman Chalisa, the forty verses by Tulsidas, and of the Sundara Kanda, the book of the Ramayana in which Hanuman crosses the sea to Lanka. Many fast until the evening puja.

1. Early bath and temple visitDevotees reach the temple around sunrise, the time associated with his birth.
2. Sindoor and cholaPriests coat the idol with orange sindoor mixed with jasmine oil, called chola. Devotees take a dot of it on the forehead.
3. Chalisa and Sundara KandaThe Hanuman Chalisa is recited, often 11 or 108 times in a group, and the Sundara Kanda is read in many homes.
4. OfferingsBoondi or besan laddoos in the north, vadai garlands and butter in the south, and sometimes a red or orange cloth.
5. Evening aarti and prasadThe fast ends after the evening aarti with prasad shared among the family and neighbours.

The sindoor custom has a popular story attached. Hanuman saw Sita wearing sindoor and learnt that it was for Rama's long life, so he covered his whole body in it. That is why many Hanuman idols in the north are bright orange.

Regional practice goes well beyond the north. At the Namakkal Anjaneyar temple in Tamil Nadu, the 18-foot image is dressed with a garland of 1,00,008 vadais for Anjaneyar Jayanthi. In the Telugu states, many devotees keep a 41-day *deeksha* of simple food and prayer that ends on the Telugu Hanuman Jayanthi. In the north, towns hold processions with *shobha yatras* and wrestlers' *akharas* honour Hanuman as their patron.

Chola

Orange sindoor mixed with jasmine oil, applied to the idol

Chiranjivi

One believed to live until the end of the present age

Sundara Kanda

The fifth book of the Ramayana, centred on Hanuman's journey to Lanka

Bajrangbali

"The one with limbs strong as a thunderbolt", a popular name for Hanuman

Deeksha

A period of vowed discipline, here usually 41 days

What to write on Hanuman Jayanti

A good Hanuman Jayanti message asks for courage or protection and connects it to a real situation: an exam, a new job, an illness, a long journey. Hanuman is linked with fearlessness and humility, so wishes can be warm without being showy.

For the festival of Rama's birth a few days earlier, see Ram Navami, and for the day of his victory see Dussehra.

How to wish someone on Hanuman Jayanti

A Hanuman Jayanti wish is about strength used in service, courage, and devotion without ego, the qualities the Ramayana gives Hanuman. Wishes often invoke "Jai Bajrangbali" or "Jai Shri Ram" and ask for protection from fear. Check which date the recipient keeps: a Tamil or Kannada friend may observe it in December.

Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.

Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.

When is Hanuman Jayanti in 2026 and 2027?

Hanuman Jayanti is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 18 days later than in 2026.

Frequently asked questions