Hanuman Jayanti celebrates the birth of Hanuman, son of Anjana and Vayu, the wind. The Valmiki Ramayana tells how baby Hanuman saw the rising sun, thought it was a ripe fruit, and leapt to catch it. Later in life he forgot how strong he was, until his friend Jambavan reminded him, and he leapt across the ocean. Different states celebrate on different days. The message for a child: you are stronger than you think, and the best strength is used to help someone.
Dates as per Drik Panchang, New Delhi and regional pages. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana observe a 41-day period ending on Vaishakha Krishna Dashami. Your local panchang may differ.
In this article
The story of Hanuman
Hanuman was born to Anjana, and the wind god Vayu blessed him as his son. One morning, baby Hanuman saw the rising sun and thought it was a ripe, reddish fruit. He leapt into the sky to catch it. Indra struck him with his thunderbolt, and Hanuman fell, hurting his jaw (hanu). That is how he got his name.
Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda 66.Years later, the vanaras stood at the ocean's edge, needing to cross to Lanka to find Sita. Hanuman sat silent; he had forgotten his own strength. Old Jambavan walked over and reminded him of his birth and his power. Hanuman stood, grew, and leapt across the ocean.
Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda 66-67; Sundara Kanda 1.
From my home
When I was studying for my diploma in engineering, Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti were special in our hostel. People celebrated together and gave clothes to those who needed them. That stayed with me: a festival is also about giving.
Manjunath
Why is Hanuman Jayanti on different days?
Families across India follow different calendars and traditions for Hanuman's birth, so Hanuman Jayanti falls on different days:
On Chaitra Purnima, the full moon of spring (20 April 2027).
Hanumad Vrata, on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi (22 December 2026).
Hanumath Jayanthi, on the new moon of Margazhi (7 January 2027).
A 41-day observance from Chaitra Purnima, with the main day on Vaishakha Krishna Dashami.
Engineer's note
Different dates for the same hero is not a mistake. It shows how many communities, each with its own calendar, held on to Hanuman for centuries. For a child, it means more than one Hanuman day a year.
What we do, and what it means
🌅Temple visit at dawn
Tradition Many families visit a Hanuman temple early in the morning, since tradition holds that he was born at sunrise.
📿The Hanuman Chalisa
Tradition The forty verses of praise written by Tulsidas in the 16th century are recited through the day.
Do together: say the first doha with her, one line at a time.🟠Sindoor
Tradition Hanuman's murti is covered in orange sindoor and oil. Tradition tells that he saw Sita wear sindoor for Rama's long life, and covered himself in it out of love for Rama.
🍬Boondi and laddu
Tradition Boondi laddus are offered and shared as prasad.
Why do festivals like Hanuman Jayanti matter to children? A review of 50 years of research linked family rituals with children who cope better and families who feel closer. The researchers point to the meaning rituals carry: "this is who we are".
Fiese et al., Journal of Family Psychology, 2002.Read it aloud tonight: The Baby Who Jumped for the Sun
A bedtime version of the story, about four minutes to read. Read it slowly, pause at the questions, and let her answer.
Long ago, in the forest, lived Anjana and her baby son. The wind, Vayu, loved this baby so much that he blessed him as his own. The baby's name was Hanuman.
One morning, baby Hanuman woke up very, very hungry. He looked up at the sky, and there was the sun, rising big and round and red.
"A fruit!" thought baby Hanuman. "A big, ripe fruit!"
What fruit do you think he wanted?
And he jumped. Up, up, up into the sky, faster than the wind, reaching for the sun!
Indra, king of the gods, saw him and was worried. He threw his thunderbolt, and it hit the baby on his jaw. Hanuman fell back down to earth. His jaw, his "hanu", was hurt. And that is how he got his name: Hanuman.
The wind was so upset that he stopped blowing. So the gods came, healed baby Hanuman, and gave him many blessings. He grew up very strong and very brave.
But when he was older, Hanuman forgot how strong he was.
One day, he stood at the edge of a huge ocean with his friends. They needed to cross it to find Sita. Everyone said, "I can't jump that far." Hanuman sat quietly. He didn't think he could either.
Then old Jambavan, the wise bear-king, walked over. "Hanuman," he said, "don't you remember? When you were a baby, you jumped for the sun! You can do this."
Hanuman stood up. He remembered. He grew bigger and bigger. And with one mighty leap, he jumped across the whole ocean.
Who is your Jambavan? Who reminds you that you can do it?
Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda 66-67; the leap, Sundara Kanda 1.
After the story
Be her Jambavan tonight: tell her one brave thing she did this week. Then let her leap from one cushion to another, like Hanuman.
How to explain Hanuman Jayanti to your child
"Today is Hanuman's birthday! When he was a baby, he saw the sun and thought it was a big orange fruit, and he jumped to catch it! Hanuman is very strong and very kind."
"Hanuman was so strong that as a baby he leapt for the sun. But when he grew up, he forgot how strong he was. One day his friend Jambavan said, 'Hanuman, you can do this!' and Hanuman leapt across the whole ocean to help find Sita. Sometimes we forget how strong we are, and a friend reminds us."
The value she takes away
You are stronger than you think, and the best strength is used to help someone. Be her Jambavan tonight: tell her one thing she did this week that was brave.
Do together
Pretend to be Hanuman: she stands on a cushion, you say "Hanuman, you can do it!", and she leaps to the next cushion. Researchers found that children who pretended to be a hero they admire kept working longer on a boring task (White et al., Child Development, 2017).
Play this with your child
What did baby Hanuman think the sun was?
A fruit! He leapt to catch it.
Who reminded Hanuman how strong he was?
Jambavan, the wise old bear-king.
Who was Hanuman's father?
Vayu, the wind! That's why he could fly.
Read next in this series
- Why do we celebrate Ram Navami? Read
- 10 Indian values and the story behind each Read
- The 10 avatars of Vishnu, explained for kids Read
Questions parents ask
Why do we celebrate Hanuman Jayanti?
To celebrate the birth of Hanuman, son of Anjana and the wind god Vayu, hero of the Ramayana, remembered for his strength, devotion and courage.
Why is Hanuman Jayanti celebrated on different dates?
Communities follow different calendars and traditions: North India on Chaitra Purnima, Karnataka on Margashirsha Shukla Trayodashi, Tamil Nadu on the Margazhi new moon, and Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over 41 days ending on Vaishakha Krishna Dashami.
Why did Hanuman fly to the sun?
As a baby, Hanuman saw the rising sun and thought it was a ripe fruit, so he leapt to catch it (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda 66).
How did Hanuman get his name?
When Indra's thunderbolt struck baby Hanuman, it hurt his jaw, "hanu" in Sanskrit, and so he was called Hanuman.
When is Hanuman Jayanti in 2027?
In North India, Tuesday, 20 April 2027. In Karnataka, Hanumad Vrata falls on Tuesday, 22 December 2026, and in Tamil Nadu, Hanumath Jayanthi on Thursday, 7 January 2027 (Drik Panchang).
How do I explain Hanuman to a toddler?
Start with the baby who leapt at the sun thinking it was a fruit. Then, as she grows, tell how Jambavan reminded him of his strength. Let her pretend to leap like Hanuman.
If we want thoughtful adults tomorrow, we must be equally thoughtful about childhood today.
Manjunath · father, ex-VinFast lead design engineer, founder of VedaPlay
Follow the build, and the stories we test at home, on Instagram: @manjunath.build
Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda 66-67.
- Tulsidas, Hanuman Chalisa (16th century).
- White RE et al. (2017). The "Batman Effect": improving perseverance in young children. Child Development 88(5):1563.
- Drik Panchang, festival calendars 2026 and 2027 (New Delhi).
- Fiese BH et al. (2002). A review of 50 years of research on naturally occurring family routines and rituals. Journal of Family Psychology 16(4):381-390.
