Hanuman Chalisa

The Hanuman Chalisa is a Hindu devotional hymn addressed to the god Hanuman. It is traditionally believed to have been authored by Tulsidas in the Awadhi language. The word "Chalisa" is derived from "chālīs", which means "40" in Hindi, as the Hanuman Chalisa has 40 verses excluding the couplets at beginning and end.

Hanuman is a "Vanara" (a monkey-like humanoid deity), a devotee of Rama, and one of the central characters in the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Folk tales increasingly eulogise the powers of Hanuman, and he is considered by many to be an avatar of the god Shiva. The qualities of Hanuman – his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Rama and the many names by which he was known – are detailed in the Hanuman Chalisa. There are more temples devoted to Hanuman than any other deity in India, and recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa is a common religious practice.

Tulsidas says in the last stanza of the Hanuman Chalisa that whoever chants it with full devotion to Hanuman, will have Hanuman's grace. Amongst Hindus, it is a very popular belief that chanting the Hanuman Chalisa invokes Hanuman's divine intervention in grave problems, including those concerning evil spirits.

Jai Shree Hanuman!