Festival · Chaitra Purnima
Hanuman Jayanti 2026
Hanuman is born at dawn on Chaitra Purnima. Another name for strength, devotion and loyalty: Bajrangbali!
Date, tithi and timing
Times are for Pune. The app gives times for your city.
Date and time in every city
Next year, 2027
Quick facts
- Also known asHanuman Janmotsav, Maruti Jayanti
- WhereChaitra Purnima in Maharashtra and the north; on other dates in the south
- Puja forHanuman, also called Maruti
- In one lineThe birthday of Hanuman, son of Anjana and Kesari, and son of Vayu, the wind.
Hanuman Jayanti, in a little more detail
- 01
About the festival
In Maharashtra Hanuman is fondly called Maruti. Almost every village has a Maruti temple at its gate: the village guardian.
Hanuman is strength, but never strength for himself. All his power goes to serving Rama. He's the best teacher of how strength and humility live together.
That's why gyms, talims and akhadas keep an image of Maruti. A strong body and a devoted mind: that's his message.
- 02
The child who thought the Sun was a fruit
As a child, Hanuman once saw the rising Sun, took it for a ripe fruit and leapt into the sky to eat it.
Indra struck him with his thunderbolt to stop him, and it broke his jaw. His father Vayu, the wind, was furious and drew the air out of the world, and every living thing began to choke.
At last Shiva revived Hanuman, Vayu gave the air back, and the gods gave Hanuman boons: no weapon would harm him, and he could go wherever he wished. Hanu means jaw, and one reading of his name goes back to this.
- 03
In Maharashtra and beyond
At Maruti temples kirtan starts before dawn, pauses at the hour of his birth, sunrise, and ends with prasad. The cradle is rocked and sunthavada goes round.
Maruti is offered sindoor, oil, a garland of rui leaves and a coconut. Devotees touch the sindoor from the idol to their foreheads. The Hanuman Chalisa and the Maruti Stotra, Bhimarupi Maharudra, are sung through the day.
In Andhra and Telangana Hanuman Jayanti falls in Vaishakha, in Karnataka in Margashirsha or Vaishakha, and in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Margazhi. In Odisha it comes with the Odia new year, Pana Sankranti.
How to do the puja
In short: Kirtan before dawn, the birth at sunrise, then sindoor, oil, rui leaves, a coconut and the stotra.
- 1Wake well before dawn and bathe.Your city's sunrise time is above.
- 2Go to the Maruti temple for the dawn kirtan, or set Maruti's picture up at home.In Maharashtra most temples begin kirtan before sunrise. It gets crowded, so go early.
- 3At sunrise, the hour of his birth, bow and join the aarti.At the hour of his birth the kirtan pauses and everyone gets prasad.
- 4Offer sindoor and oil, rui flowers and leaves, and break a coconut.Devotees touch sindoor from the idol to their foreheads.
- 5Recite the Hanuman Chalisa or Bhimarupi Maharudra, or read the Sundara Kanda.Bhimarupi Maharudra is Samarth Ramdas's Maruti stotra; it's the one most sung in Maharashtra.
- 6Offer naivedya, and take the prasad.Naivedya goes to God first, then to everyone.
- 7If you keep a fast, break it after the evening aarti.If you're unwell, pregnant or elderly, skip the fast; the puja and the stotra are enough.
What you needTick as you go
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Frequently asked questions
At what time is Hanuman's birth celebrated?
At sunrise: Hanuman is believed to have been born as the sun rose. Your city's time is above.
Why are sindoor and oil offered to Maruti?
One story says Hanuman saw Sita wear sindoor for Rama's long life, and covered himself in it. Since then sindoor and oil are Maruti's own offerings.
Why is Hanuman Jayanti on another day in the south?
The traditions differ. Maharashtra and the north keep Chaitra Purnima; Andhra and Telangana keep it in Vaishakha, and Tamil Nadu and Kerala in Margazhi.
Should I fast?
Fasting is more common in north India. In Maharashtra many keep the day with the temple, the kirtan and the prasad. A fast is your choice, and health comes first.
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