India GOHanuman Jayanti: Hanuman's birthday and where to see it
Where devotion meets supernatural strength
Hanuman Jayanti is the birthday of Hanuman, the vanara (monkey-like forest being) devotee of Rama: temples fill from dawn, the image is rubbed with orange sindoor and the Hanuman Chalisa is recited all day. In north India it falls on Chaitra Purnima, the full moon of Chaitra, which in 2027 is 20 April. South and east India keep their own dates, which is why searches for the date give different answers.
Birthday of the divine monkey God: devotion and strength
Chaitra Purnima, the full moon of Chaitra, in north India, confirmed by the central government's restricted list, issued around July of the year before. Tamil Nadu keeps Hanuman Jayanti on the new moon of Margazhi, Karnataka on the thirteenth lunar day of the bright half of Margashirsha, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana on the tenth lunar day of the dark half of Vaishakha, and Odisha on Pana Sankranti.
The legend
Tradition says Hanuman is born to Anjana and Kesari, and the wind god Vayu is held to be his heavenly father.
As a baby he mistakes the rising sun for a ripe fruit and leaps into the sky to pick it.
Indra strikes him down and the boy hurts his jaw: by one reading, Hanuman means "the one with the injured jaw".
To make amends the gods grant him strength and long life, and he becomes Rama's most devoted companion.
So on his day temples fill from dawn: the image is rubbed with orange sindoor and the Hanuman Chalisa is recited.
Meaning
Tirumala
One of Tirumala's seven hills is called Anjanadri: tradition says the gods consoled Anjana here and blessed her son.
Hampi
The country around Hampi is held to be ancient Kishkindha, kingdom of the vanaras, where Hanuman met Rama.
Customs
🧡 Sindoor
The image is coated with orange sindoor: the story goes that Hanuman covered himself in it to please Rama.
📿 Hanuman Chalisa
Tulsidas's forty Awadhi verses ring through the temples all day.
🚩 Orange flags
Temples are hung with orange flags and garlands of orange flowers, and queues at the famous shrines form at dawn.
🗓️ Tuesday
Every Tuesday is Hanuman's day, and the jayanti is his great day of the year.
Words of the festival
वानर
vanara
the monkey-like forest people of the Ramayana; Hanuman is one
बजरंगबली
Bajrangbali
one of Hanuman's popular names
जयंती
jayanti
a birthday or anniversary: the word for the birthdays of gods and saints
चिरंजीवी
chiranjivi
"long-living": one who lives on until this age ends; Hanuman is one
True or myth
❌ Myth. The north keeps it on the Chaitra full moon, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in winter, in Margazhi, and Odisha on Pana Sankranti, the Odia New Year.
✅ True. In Eknath's Bhavartha Ramayana a kite snatches a piece of King Dasharatha's sacred pudding, and Vayu carries it to Anjana.
✅ True. He is revered as a lifelong brahmachari, a model of chastity.
Where to celebrate
Varanasi
The strongest thing attached to Hanuman Jayanti in Varanasi is not the day itself but the Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, six free nights of classical music inside the Hanuman temple every April, now past its 100th…
Hampi
Anjanadri Hill across the river from Hampi is promoted by the Koppal district administration as Hanuman's birthplace and fills on Hanuman Jayanti, though the birthplace claim is contested and Tirumala asserts the same…
Delhi
Delhi's Hanuman Jayanti is a temple day rather than a destination, anchored on the Prachin Hanuman Mandir at Connaught Place, which already runs on Tuesday and Saturday crowds all year.
Hyderabad
Hyderabad marks Hanuman Jayanti twice: on Chaitra Purnima the Veera Hanuman Vijaya Yatra walks 12 km from Gowliguda to Tadbund, and 41 days later the Telugu date closes the Hanuman deeksha.
Why Hanuman Jayanti has several dates
There is no single all-India day. Each regional calendar places Hanuman's birth in a different lunar month, so the same festival comes round at four or five points in the year. The "two Hanuman Jayantis" people search for are usually the north Indian April date and the Telugu one about six weeks later.
| North India | Chaitra Purnima (full moon of Chaitra): 20 April 2027 |
| Andhra Pradesh and Telangana | Tenth lunar day of the dark half of Vaishakha: 31 May 2027 |
| Odisha | Pana Sankranti, the Odia New Year: 14 April 2027 |
| Karnataka | Thirteenth lunar day of the bright half of Margashirsha (Hanumad Vratam): 22 December 2026, then 11 December 2027 |
| Tamil Nadu | New moon of Margazhi: 7 January 2027, then 27 December 2027 |
What you see on the day
Hanuman Jayanti is a temple festival, and the queues form at dawn. Temples are hung with orange flags and garlands of orange flowers, the stone image glows with fresh sindoor (vermilion paste), and the air smells of ghee lamps and crushed flowers. By tradition Hanuman covered himself in sindoor to please Rama, which is why devotees bring it as an offering. The Hanuman Chalisa, forty Awadhi verses by Tulsidas, rings through the halls all day, often recited over and over.
Tradition gives Hanuman a vivid childhood: born to Anjana and Kesari, with the wind god Vayu as his heavenly father, he mistakes the rising sun for a ripe fruit and leaps to grab it. He is revered as a chiranjivi (one who lives until this age ends) and as a lifelong brahmachari. Every Tuesday is his weekly day; the jayanti (birthday) is his great day of the year.
Where to experience Hanuman Jayanti
In most cities the day is a temple morning. Two places turn it into something bigger.
Varanasi: Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh
The strongest reason to travel. Four days after Hanuman Jayanti, once the temple's Ramayan Sammelan ends, the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple opens six free nights of classical music in its courtyard, from 19:30 until sunrise; the festival is past its 100th edition. In 2027 the jayanti is 20 April and the opening night is expected on 24 April. The temple announces exact dates a few weeks ahead. Arrive early to sit close, and stay in south Varanasi (Assi, Lanka, Bhelupura) so the bed is a short ride away at dawn.
Hyderabad: Veera Hanuman Vijaya Yatra
On Chaitra Purnima a procession walks about 12 km from the Sri Ram Mandir at Gowliguda (start 11:30) to the Hanuman temple at Tadbund in Secunderabad (around 20:00), through the older parts of the city. It is public and free; police announce traffic restrictions along the route. The Telugu date six weeks later is a quieter temple day, when devotees close their 41-day deeksha (vow).
Hampi: Anjanadri Hill
Across the Tungabhadra from Hampi, the Vijayanagara-era Anjaneya temple tops a 516 m hill that the Koppal district administration promotes as Hanuman's birthplace (Tirumala makes the same claim, and the question is contested). The climb is about 462 steps by the district's count. The hill fills on Hanuman Jayanti and again in December, when Hanuma Mala devotees climb it to end their vow. It works as a half-day trip whenever you are in Hampi.
Delhi: Prachin Hanuman Mandir
Delhi's best-known Hanuman temple, at Connaught Place near Rajiv Chowk Metro, already runs on Tuesday and Saturday crowds all year; on the jayanti the street outside takes the overflow. Free, open to all, no booking needed. More: [Hanuman Jayanti in Delhi](/en/festivals/hanumana-jayanti/delhi/).
✅ Temple etiquette and tips
Hindu temples welcome visitors on Hanuman Jayanti; the rules are the usual ones, under heavier crowds.
- Go early — Queues at the major Hanuman temples can be hours long by mid-morning.
- Offerings — Sindoor and orange flowers are the traditional offering, sold at stalls outside.
- Dress and shoes — Shoulders and knees covered, shoes left at the stand before the entrance.
- Join the Chalisa — Even reciting a few verses of the Hanuman Chalisa with the crowd is warmly received.
👣 Booking ahead
Only Varanasi needs real planning.
- Varanasi
The Samaroh draws classical-music listeners from across India in April, the shoulder before the heat. Book a room about six weeks ahead and trains up to 60 days ahead; plan at least three nights, ideally all six.
- Hampi
Anjanadri has no beds of its own; stay in Hosapete, Gangavathi or on the Hampi side, about two weeks ahead, with transport a month ahead.
- Delhi and Hyderabad
No pressure on rooms or transport for the day; come as you are.
❓ FAQ
When is Hanuman Jayanti in 2027?
In north India on 20 April 2027, Chaitra Purnima. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana keep it on 31 May 2027, Odisha on 14 April, Tamil Nadu on 7 January and Karnataka on 11 December 2027.
Why are there two Hanuman Jayantis?
Regional calendars place Hanuman's birth in different months. The two dates most people meet are the north Indian Chaitra full moon in April and the Telugu date in May or June; Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha add their own.
Who is Hanuman?
In the Ramayana, Hanuman is a vanara, one of the monkey-like forest people, and Rama's most devoted companion. He is worshipped across India as a model of devotion and strength, and Tuesday is his day.
Is the Sankat Mochan music festival free?
Yes. All six nights of the Sangeet Samaroh in the Varanasi temple courtyard are free, with no paid tier; arriving early is the only way to sit close.
Is Anjanadri Hill really Hanuman's birthplace?
That is the local tradition, promoted by the Koppal district. Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh claims the same, and the question is contested.