is they a Gods in Hindu religion call Hanuman can u explain a bit?

Question

because i am not from India but i want to Know about Hindu deity like Hanuman

Answer 1

Hanuman was an ape, son of the wind god Vayu. Having many powers including the ability to fly, he soared across teh sea from india to Sri Lanka in his search for Sita.
It is related to Hindu as part of the story of Vishnu who took the form of a handsome warrior prince Rama to save the Earth from the wicked demon king Ravana.

Answer 2

In the Hindu faith, Hanuman /Hanumān), known also as 'Anjaneya', is one of the most important personalities in the epic, the Ramayana. He is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana.

He symbolises the pinnacle of bhakti, and is considered to be the eleventh Rudra avatar of Lord Shiva. He is more well-known as the (spiritual) Son of Vayu deva, the Hindu deity of the wind.

Answer 3

that's really interesting......... !!!

Hanuman is a son of Anjanidevi (mother) &
the Wind God and an ape.
He is a devotee of the Lord Ram , and
serves him like his shadow.

if u really want to know more,
see the animated movie,
HANUMAN , just released recently.

Answer 4

Hanuman, the mighty ape that aided Lord Rama in his expedition against evil forces, is one of the most popular idols in the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshipped as a symbol of physical strength, perseverance and devotion.

Hanuman's tale in the epic Ramayana — wherein he is assigned the responsibility to locate Rama's wife Sita abducted by Ravana, the demon king of Lanka — is known for its astounding ability to inspire and equip a reader with all the ingredients needed to face ordeals and conquer obstructions in the way of the world.

Worshipping the Monkey God
On Saturdays and Tuesdays many people keep fast in honour of Hanuman and give special offerings to him. In times of trouble, it is a common faith among Hindus to chant the name of Hanuman or sing his hymn ("Hanuman Chalisa") and proclaim "Bajrangbali Ki Jai" — "victory to thy thunderbolt strength". Once every year — on the full-moon day of Chaitra (April) at sunrise — "Hanuman Jayanti" is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Hanuman. Hanuman temples are among the most common public shrines found in India.

The Power of Devotion
The character of Hanuman teaches us of the unlimited power that lies unused within each one of us. Hanuman directed all his energies towards the worship of Lord Rama, and his undying devotion made him such that he became free from all physical fatigue. And Hanuman's only desire was to go on serving Rama. Hanuman perfectly exemplifies "Dasyabhava" devotion — one of the nine types of devotions — that bonds the master and the servant. His greatness lies in his complete merger with his Lord, which also formed the base of his genial qualities.

Hindus believe in ten avatars of Lord Vishnu and millions of gods and goddesses. One of Vishnu's avatars is Rama, who was created to destroy the evil Ravana. In order to aid Rama, Lord Brahma commanded some gods and goddesses to take the avatar of "Vanaras" (or monkeys). Indra was reincarnated as Bali, Surya as Sugriva, Vrihaspati as Tara, and Pavana, the god of wind was reborn as Hanuman, the wisest, swiftest and strongest of all apes.

The Birth of Hanuman
The story of the birth of Hanuman goes thus: Vrihaspati, the preceptor of the gods, had an attendant called Punjikasthala. She was cursed to assume the form of a female monkey — a curse that could only be nullified if she would give birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Reborn as Anjana, she performed intense austerities to please Shiva, who finally granted her the boon that would cure her of the curse.

When Agni, the god of fire gave Dasharath, the king of Ayodhya, a bowl of sacred sweet food to share among his wives so that they may have divine children, an eagle snatched a part of the pudding and dropped it where Anjana was meditating, and Pavana, the god of wind delivered the drop to her outstretched hands. After she took the divine dessert, she gave birth to Hanuman. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated as a monkey, and was born as Hanuman to Anjana, by the blessings of Pavana, who thus became Hanuman's godfather.

Answer 5

................. he is perhaps the only honest God in that culture .......

Answer 6

In the Hindu faith, Hanuman (Sanskrit: हनुमत् Hanumat; nominative singular हनुमान् Hanumān), known also as 'Anjaneya', is one of the most important personalities in the epic, the Ramayana. He is a vanara who aided Lord Rama (an avatar of Vishnu) in rescuing His Consort, Sita, from the Rakshasa king Ravana.

He symbolises the pinnacle of bhakti, and is considered to be the eleventh Rudra avatar of Lord Shiva. He is more well-known as the (spiritual) Son of Vayu deva, the Hindu deity of the wind.

He is believed by some scholars to be a source for the Chinese mythological character Sun Wukong. [citation needed]

Hanuman is the epitome of wisdom, brahmacharya, bhakti (devotion/faith), valour, righteousness and strength. He is symbolized in Hinduism for his unwavering dedication to righteousness, unstinting performance of entrusted duties, and unfailing talents in serving his chosen master. His indispensable role in reuniting Rama with Sita is likened by some to that of a teacher helping an individual soul realise the divine. While the uninitiated may find it odd to worship "a monkey", to believers, the idea is to revere and worship him for the astounding attributes he represents — attributes that even most humans find impossible to practice.

There is no blessing that he cannot bestow — Sita granted him the power to bestow the eight siddhis and nine types of wealth on others. However, it is believed that these pale when compared to the greatest boon one can receive from Hanuman — the uplifting spiritual qualities that Hanuman himself is known for. It is also held that while Rama did what he believed to be dharma, Hanuman acts out of compassion.

He is easily reachable — just by chanting the name 'Ram'. Conversely, it is also held that the easiest way to attain Lord Rama is to worship Hanuman — verse 33 of the Hanuman Chalisa begins, "Tumharae bhajan Ram ko paavae", which means "by singing hymns about You, Rama is reached".

Hanuman was born in the Treta Yuga, as the son of Anjana a female vanara. Anjana was actually an apsaras (a celestial being), named Punjikasthala, who, due to a curse, was born on the earth as a female vanara. The curse was to be removed on her giving birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Anjana was the wife of Kesari, a strong vanara who once killed a mighty elephant that was troubling sages and hermits. He therefore got the name 'Kesari', meaning lion, and is also called Kunjara Südana, the elephant killer.

Along with Kesari, Anjana performed intense prayers to Lord Shiva to beget Him as her Child. Pleased with their devotion, Shiva granted them the boon they sought.[1]

At the time that Anjana was worshipping Lord Shiva, elsewhere, Dasaratha, the king of Ayodhya, was performing the Putrakama Yagna in order to have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding, to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a fragment of that pudding, and dropped it while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship. Vayu, the Hindu deity of the wind, delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who consumed it. Hanuman was born to her as the result.[2]

Being Anjana's son, Hanuman is also called Anjaneya (pronounced Änjanèya), which literally means 'arising from Anjana'.

The Sundara Kanda, the fifth book in the Ramayana, focuses mainly on the adventures of Hanuman.

Hanuman met Rama when the latter was in exile for fourteen years in the forest. He was with his brother Lakshmana, searching for his wife Sita who had been abducted by the rakshasa emperor Ravana. Their search brought them to the vicinity of the mountain Rishyamukha, where Sugriva, along with his followers and friends, were in hiding from his elder brother Vali, the vanara emperor with whom he had had a serious misunderstanding. Refusing to listen to Sugriva's explanation, Vali had banished him from the kingdom, and was holding Sugriva's wife captive in his (Vali's) own palace.

Having seen Rama and Lakshmana, Sugriva sent Hanuman to ascertain their identities. Hanuman approached the two brothers in the guise of a brahmin. His first words to them were such that Rama said to Lakshmana that none could speak the way the brahmin did, without having mastered the Vedas and their branches. He noted that there was no defect in the brahmin's countenance, eyes, forehead, brows or any limb. He pointed out to Lakshmana that his accent was captivating, and said that even an enemy with sword drawn would be moved. He praised Hanuman (in disguise) further, saying that sure success awaited the king whose emissaries were so accomplished as him.[3]

When Rama introduced himself, Hanuman revealed his own identity and fell prostrate before Rama, who embraced him warmly. Thereafter, Hanuman's life became interwoven inextricably with that of Rama. Hanuman then brought about a friendship and alliance between Rama and Sugriva. (Rama helped Sugriva regain his honour and made him king of Kishkindha (the kingdom of the vanaras), and Sugriva and his vanaras helped Rama defeat Ravana and reunite with Sita, with Hanuman playing an indispensable role in it all).

In their search for Sita, a group of vanaras reached the southern seashore. Upon encountering the vast ocean, every vanara began to lament his inability to jump across the water. Hanuman too was saddened at the possible failure of his mission, until the other vanaras, and especially the wise bear Jambavan began to extol his virtues. Hanuman then recollected his own powers, enlarged his body and flew across the ocean. On his way, he encountered a mountain that rose from the sea, proclaimed that it owed his father a debt and asked him to rest a while before proceeding. But not wanting to waste any time, Hanuman thanked the mountain and carried on. He then encountered a sea-monster who challenged him to enter her mouth. Hanuman outwitted her, and she sheepishly admitted that it had been no more than a test of his courage.

Hanuman reached Lanka, and marvelled at its beauty. He also felt slightly regretful that it would be destroyed if Rama was left with no option but to fight to rescue Sita. After he found Sita sitting depressed in captivity in a garden, Hanuman revealed his identity to her, reassured and comforted her, lifted her spirits and also offered to carry her back to Rama. But she refused his offer, saying it would be an insult to Rama as his honour was at stake. Hanuman's conveying the message of Rama to Sita is likened by some to that of a divine teacher, teaching a pupil about the supreme God.

After meeting Sita, Hanuman began to wreak havoc and gradually destroy the palaces and properties of Lanka. To subdue him, Ravana's son Indrajit used the Brahmastra. Though immune to the astra (weapon), Hanuman, out of respect to Brahma, let himself be bound by the weapon. Deciding to use the opportunity to meet the renowned ruler of Lanka, and to assess the strength of Ravana's hordes, Hanuman allowed the rakshasa warriors to parade him through the streets. When he was produced at Ravana's court, Ravana sought to insult Hanuman by denying him a seat that was due to a messenger. In response, Hanuman lengthened his own tail and coiled it up into a seat that rose higher than the rakshasa emperor's throne. He conveyed Rama's message of warning to the powerful rakshasa, and demanded the safe return of Sita. He also informed Ravana that Rama would be willing to forgive him if he returned Sita safely and honourably.

Enraged, Ravana ordered that Hanuman be executed. However, Ravana's brother Vibheeshana intervened, pointing out that it was against the rules of engagement to kill a messenger. Ravana then ordered that Hanuman's tail be lit, instead. As Ravana's forces attempted to wrap cloth around his tail, Hanuman began to lengthen it. After frustrating them for a while, he allowed his tail to be lit, and then escaped from his captors with his tail on fire. He then burnt down much of Lanka, and after extinguishing the flames on his tail in the sea, headed back to Rama.

During the war, when Lakshmana was severely wounded by Indrajit, Hanuman was sent to fetch the Sanjivani, a powerful life-restoring herb from the Dronagiri mountain range to revive him. Ravana realised that if Lakshmana died, a distraught Rama would probably give up, and so had his uncle Kalenami tempt Hanuman with luxury. However, Hanuman was tipped off by a crocodile (who had actually been a celestial being under a curse) and killed the rakshasa. When he was unable to find the specific herb before nightfall, Hanuman again displayed his might by lifting the entire Dronagiri mountain and bringing it to the battlefield in Lanka, thus helping others find the herb to revive Lakshmana. An emotional Rama hugged Hanuman, saying that he was as dear to him as his beloved brother Bharata.

In another incident during the war, (the one that brought about Hanuman's Panchamukha form), Rama and Lakshmana were captured by the rakshasa Mahiravana (also called Ahiravana), a powerful practitioner of black magic and the dark arts, and held captive in his palace in Patalpuri or Patala (the nether world). In his search for them, Hanuman reached Patala. The gates to Patala were guarded by a very young creature called Makardhwaja (known also as Makar-Dhwaja or Magar Dhwaja), who was part fish and part vanara. The story of Makardhwaja's birth is interesting — though Hanuman remained celibate all his life, Makadhwaja was his son; when Hanuman had extinguished his burning tail in the ocean, unknown to him, a drop of his sweat had fallen into the ocean. This sweat was swallowed by a fish, which became pregnant. This was discovered when the fish was brought to Mahiravana's kitchen to be cooked. Mahiravana raised him and entrusted him with the job of guarding the gates of Patalpuri. Hanuman was, all the while unaware of this. Although Makardhwaja knew that his father was Hanuman, he did not recognise Hanuman since he had never seen him. When Hanuman introduced himself to Makardhwaja, he sought Hanuman's blessings but decided to fight his father as it was his duty to guard the gates of Patalpuri. Hanuman subdued him and tied him up before entering Patalpuri to rescue Rama and Lakshmana.

Upon entering Patala, Hanuman discovered that he had to extinguish five lamps at once to kill Mahiravana. Hanuman assumed the Panchamukha (Pancha - five, mukha - faced) form with the faces of Sri Varaha, Sri Narasimha, Sri Garuda, Sri Hayagriva and his own, and blew the lamps out. Thus killing Mahiravana, Hanuman rescued Rama and Lakshmana. After Mahiravana was vanquished, Rama asked Hanuman to crown Makardhwaja the king of Patalpuri.

Hanuman continued to play an indispensable role in the war.

When the war ended, the fourteen year period of Rama's exile had almost elapsed. Rama then remembered Bharata's vow to immolate himself if Rama did not return to rule Ayodhya immediately upon the elapse of the fourteen years. Realising that it would be a little later than the last day of the fourteen year period when he would reach Ayodhya, Rama became very anxious to prevent Bharata from giving his life up. Once again, Hanuman came to the rescue — he sped to Ayodhya and informed Bharata that Rama was on his way back.

Shortly after he was crowned emperor upon his return to Ayodhya, Rama decided to ceremoniously reward all those who had helped him defeat Ravana. At a grand event in his court, all his friends and allies took turns going up to his throne and being honoured. Hanuman too went up, but not with any desire to be recompensed. Seeing Hanuman come up to him, an emotionally overwhelmed Rama took him into a warm embrace and said that he could never adequately honour or repay Hanuman for the help and services he had received from the noble vanara. Sita, however, affectionately insisted that Hanuman deserved honour more than anyone else, and asked him to seek a gift. Hanuman then requested that Sita give him a necklace of precious stones that adorned her neck. When he received it, Hanuman immediately took it apart, and began peering into the stones. Taken aback, many of those present demanded of Hanuman to explain why he was destroying the gift. In reply, Hanuman said that he was looking into the stones to make sure that Rama and Sita were in them, because if they were not, the necklace was of no value to him. At this, a few ridiculed Hanuman, saying his reverence and love for Rama and Sita could not be as deep as he claimed. Upon this, Hanuman tore his chest open, and everyone was stunned to see Rama and Sita literally in his heart.

It is considered that after the victory of Rama over Ravana, Hanuman went to the Himalayas to continue his worship of the Lord. There he scripted a version of the Ramayana on Himalayan mountains using his nails, recording every detail of Rama's deeds. When Maharishi Valmiki visited him to show him his own version of the Ramayana, he also saw Lord Hanuman's version and became very disappointed. When Hanuman asked him the cause of his sorrow, he said that his version, which he had created very laboriously was no match for the splendour of Hanuman's, and would therefore, go ignored. At this, Hanuman took those rocks on one shoulder and Valmiki on the other, and went to the sea. There he threw his own version into the sea, as an offering to Rama. This version, called the Hanumad Ramayana, has been unavailable since then.

Maharishi Valmiki was so taken aback that he said he would take another birth to sing the glory of Hanuman which he had understated in his version. (It is said that Saint Tulsidas who composed the Ramcharitmanas was none other than the Maharishi Valmiki reborn to fulfill his desire).

Later, one tablet is said to have floated ashore during the period of Mahakavi Kalidasa, and hung at a public place to be deciphered by scholars. Kalidasa is said to have deciphered it and recognised that it was from the Hanumad Ramayana recorded by Hanuman in an extinct script, and considered himself very fortunate to see at least one pada of the stanza.

There have been numerous saints who have claimed to see Hanuman in modern times, notably Tulsidas (16th century), Sri Ramdas Swami (17th century), and Raghavendra Swami (17th century).

Others have also asserted his presence wherever the Ramayana is read: (in Sanskrit, not transliterated)

यत्र यत्र रघुनाथ कीर्तनम् तत्र तत्र क्रित मस्तक अन्जलिं बष्पावरी परीपूर्ण लोचनम् मारुतिं नमश्च राक्षस अंतकम्।

Yatra Yatra Raghunath Kirtanam Tatra Tatra Krita Mastaka anjalim Bashpawari Pari purna lochanam Marutim nammascha rakshas antakam

Which means:

That wherever the deeds of Sri Rama are sung, At all such places does Hanuman cry tears of devotion and joy, At all such places does his presence remove the fear of demons.