Hanuman Puja Vidhi (Tuesdays and Saturdays)

In brief

Hanuman is the devoted servant of Lord Rama, remembered for strength, courage and humility. Many families give him a short puja on Tuesday and Saturday. The core is simple: a lamp, a little sindoor (red-orange powder), flowers, a sweet offering, the Hanuman Chalisa (a 40-verse hymn attributed to Tulsidas) and aarti (waving a lit lamp before the deity while a prayer is sung).

Tradition says Hanuman once covered himself in sindoor because Sita wore it for Rama's long life. That is why sindoor is his special offering.

When to do it

Tuesday is Hanuman's day in much of North India. Saturday is also kept for him by many families, and a popular belief links Saturday prayers to Hanuman with steadiness during Saturn's difficult periods. This is a matter of belief, not a prediction for anyone.

Some families pray in the morning after a bath, and others in the evening after work. Choose a time you can keep. On Hanuman Jayanti the puja is usually done at sunrise.

A fast on Tuesday is optional. Some people eat only fruit and milk, or one simple meal without onion and garlic. People with health conditions, pregnant or nursing women, children and the elderly should follow their doctor's advice and may keep a lighter fast.

What you need

• A picture or idol of Hanuman, or of Ram Darbar (Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman), on a clean red or yellow cloth
• Sindoor and a few drops of oil to mix with it. Jasmine oil (chameli oil) is often named, and many families use sesame oil. Customs differ.
• Red flowers or a garland, a few tulsi leaves, and akshata (whole, unbroken rice)
• A lamp with ghee or oil, incense, and camphor if you use it
• A small vessel of clean water
• Prasad such as boondi laddu, a banana, or gur-chana (jaggery with roasted chickpeas)
• A Hanuman Chalisa book

Puja vidhi (steps)

1. Bathe and put on clean clothes. Red or orange is common, but any clean clothes are fine. Tidy the puja space and set the image on the cloth.
2. Light the lamp and incense. Hold a little water, rice and a flower in your right palm and say in your own words that you are doing this puja with devotion. This is the sankalpa (spoken intention).
3. Bow to Ganesha first, as many families do: "ॐ गणेशाय नमः" (Om Ganeshaya Namah).
4. Offer a few drops of water at the feet of the image.
5. Mix a pinch of sindoor with a few drops of oil. Apply a little to the feet or shoulders of an idol. For a framed picture, touch a small mark to the frame.
6. Offer flowers, tulsi leaves and a few grains of rice. Many families offer tulsi because Hanuman is Rama's devotee.
7. Chant "ॐ हनुमते नमः" (Om Hanumate Namah). Say it 11 or 108 times if you keep a mala (prayer beads), or a few times if you do not. Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.
8. Recite the Hanuman Chalisa once. Some families recite it 3, 7 or 11 times.
9. Place the prasad before the image as an offering (naivedya).
10. Sing the aarti, moving the lamp slowly in a clockwise circle.
11. Bow, ask forgiveness for any mistake, and share the prasad.

Sindoor and the idol: some temples and families ask women not to touch a Hanuman idol or apply sindoor to it, while others do not. Anyone may recite the Chalisa. Follow your family's custom and your temple priest's guidance.

Mantras and aarti

• Hanuman Chalisa: the most widely recited prayer to Hanuman, attributed to Tulsidas.
• Aarti: "Aarti Kije Hanuman Lala Ki" is sung after the Chalisa in many homes.
• Namavali: the 108 names of Hanuman, chanted as "Om (name) Namah".
• Other readings: the Hanuman Ashtak, Bajrang Baan and the Sundara Kanda are read by many on special days.

The full texts are on their own pages. Ask a priest or elder to guide pronunciation.

Doing it in the USA

Sindoor and oil stain cloth and countertops, so mix them on a small plate and keep a cloth ready. Jasmine oil, sindoor, boondi laddu and gur-chana are sold at Indian grocery stores and online. If you cannot find red flowers, use roses, carnations or any fresh flowers.

Check your lease and smoke alarm before lighting a lamp, incense or camphor. A small ghee lamp on a steel plate, away from curtains, is usually the safest. Camphor makes more smoke than you expect, so use a tiny piece near an open window, or an electric lamp if open flames are not allowed.

Tuesday is a working day for most people, so an evening puja after work is perfectly acceptable. If you pray at sunrise, use your own city's sunrise time, which shifts with the season and with daylight saving time.