Today it was different!. It was Hanuman Jayanti. It was His birthday! :) I wished to worship Him in a unique way. I logged in to the Sadhana App, clicked the option of Kishkindha Temple. I entered the magnificent temple of Lord Hanuman, the mystical and ancient architect mesmerized me. The screen displayed various options like yagna, abhishekam, nitya pooja, japa and sadhana. I tapped on nitya pooja and then clicked on Hanuman Chalisa (10 min). I daily chant Hanuman Chalisa in just 2 minutes like a machine. I was excited to learn to do nitya pooja of my favorite deity Lord Hanuman in 27 steps. The Hanuman Chalisa was sung in a melodious voice, soothing to ears which enhanced devotion. I started mentally offering the following ingredients like ghee lamp, incense, water, milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, sugar, panchamrit, perfume oil, cloth, sacred thread, jewellery, honey pot, fragrant oil, rice, flowers, dhoop, handheld lamp, naivedyam, paan, fruits, coconut, aarti lamp, pradakshina lamp and garland to Lord Hanuman while murmuring the chant.
I very lovingly offered each of the sacred ingredients, each has its own significance and importance in the ritual - water and milk symbolize purity and cleansing, yogurt and honey offer sweetness and nourishment, the panchamrit - a blend of milk, yogurt, honey, sugar, and tulsi leaf - represents the five elements is a divine elixir for the gods. I lit the incense and dhoop, their fragrant smoke filled the temple with a heavenly aroma. The luminosity of the handheld lamp removed the clouds of ignorance from my mind as I recited the Hanuman Chalisa, feeling the presence of the divine Hanuman in every verse. I offered naivedyam - a traditional offering of delicacies, fruits, coconut, and paan - to the deity, a gesture of gratitude for the blessings received. The lamp's flame glimmered in my hands, casting flickering shadows on the temple walls as I performed the aarti, absorbing the sacred energy in this divine moment. Finally, I completed the ritual with a pradakshina - a circumambulation of the altar. And adorned Lord Hanuman with a red garland with a feeling of peace and fulfillment in my heart. As I left the temple, I carried with me the divine blessings and energy of Lord Hanuman. Now, I was connected with Him in a more profound way.
The experience was so special that I decided to do Hanuman Chalisa daily in Sadhana App instead of robotic recitation.
Jai Sri Hari, thank you for sharing your beautiful experience of worshipping Lord Hanuman with devotion and love. As Lord Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita, "Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform—do that as an offering to Me." Your nitya pooja is an offering of gratitude and love to Lord Hanuman. May your devotion deepen with every chant.
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