Hanuman Jayanti: Date, Puja Vidhi & Significance (2026 & 2027)

Hanuman Jayanti is celebrated on Chaitra Purnima, the full-moon day of the Chaitra month, in most of North India. In 2026 it fell on Thursday, 2 April, and the next one is Tuesday, 20 April 2027, according to Drik Panchang. Some regions keep a different day: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana mark Hanuman Jayanthi on 11 May in 2026, and Tamil Nadu observes Hanumath Jayanthi on Margashirsha Amavasya. This guide covers the dates, why they differ, the significance of the day, a simple puja vidhi you can do at home, and how to turn devotion into seva.

When is Hanuman Jayanti? Dates for 2025 to 2028

Hanuman Jayanti follows the lunar calendar, so the Gregorian date moves every year. The dates below are the North India (Chaitra Purnima) dates as listed by Drik Panchang for New Delhi.

Because a tithi can begin and end at different clock times in different cities, the exact hour of Purnima depends on where you live. If you are outside India, check your own city's panchang before planning the puja; the calendar date can differ by a day in some time zones.

Why are there different Hanuman Jayanti dates?

Devotees are often confused because friends in different states celebrate on different days. Both are following genuine local traditions rather than making an error. According to Drik Panchang, the main variations are:

• North India and most of the country: Chaitra Purnima, the full-moon day of Chaitra. This is the date most people mean by Hanuman Jayanti.
• Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: a 41-day Hanuman Deeksha begins on Chaitra Purnima and is concluded on Hanuman Jayanthi, in the Krishna Paksha of the Vaishakha month. In 2026 the Deeksha began on 1 April and ended on 11 May, per Drik Panchang.
• Tamil Nadu: Hanumath Jayanthi is observed on Margashirsha Amavasya, which falls in December or January on the Gregorian calendar.

If your family follows a specific regional tradition, follow it. If you are unsure, ask the priest at your local Hanuman temple which day they celebrate; the puja steps below work on any of these days.

Who is Hanuman, and why does the day matter?

Hanuman is revered as the son of Anjana and the wind god Vayu, and as the greatest devotee of Lord Ram. In the Ramayana he crosses the ocean to find Sita in Lanka, a journey narrated in the Sundara Kanda, and he returns with news that restores Ram's hope. Tradition holds him up as the embodiment of strength joined with humility, courage joined with devotion, and service without expectation of reward.

Hanuman Jayanti marks his birth. Drik Panchang notes the tradition that Hanuman was born at sunrise, which is why many temples hold discourses and recitations in the pre-dawn hours and conclude them at sunrise. For devotees, the day is less about ritual perfection and more about renewing a commitment to fearlessness, discipline and selfless service.

How is Hanuman Jayanti celebrated?

Celebrations vary by region, but several practices are common across India and the diaspora:

• Early-morning bath and a visit to a Hanuman temple, often before sunrise.
• Recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa, written by the poet-saint Tulsidas, and readings from the Sundara Kanda or the Ramayana.
• Offering sindoor mixed with oil (traditionally sesame or jasmine oil) to the deity, and offering a garland of red flowers.
• Sharing prasad such as boondi, besan laddu or fruit with family, neighbours and the needy.
• Singing bhajans and Ram naam, since Hanuman is believed to be present wherever Ram's name is chanted.
• A simple fast or satvik meal for the day, kept according to personal ability and family custom.

What is the simple Hanuman Jayanti puja vidhi at home?

You do not need elaborate arrangements. This is a home-friendly sequence that many families follow; if your family has its own method, keep it.

1. Wake early, bathe, and wear clean clothes. Clean the space where you will do the puja.
2. Place a picture or idol of Hanuman, ideally alongside Ram, Sita and Lakshman, on a clean cloth or raised seat facing east if possible.
3. Light a diya (a sesame or mustard oil lamp is traditional) and an incense stick, and take a sankalp: a quiet resolve stating that you are worshipping with devotion.
4. Offer water, red flowers, and a small tilak of sindoor. Offer a tulsi leaf to Ram, since devotion to Hanuman is inseparable from devotion to Ram.
5. Recite the Hanuman Chalisa, ideally once or an auspicious number of times of your choice. If you cannot recite it, listen attentively or chant Ram naam.
6. Offer the naivedya (boondi, laddu, jaggery, banana or seasonal fruit) and perform aarti with a camphor flame.
7. Distribute the prasad, and consider an act of giving: feed someone who is hungry or support a cow shelter.

Many people also choose to do the main puja at sunrise because of the tradition of Hanuman's dawn birth. If your morning is tight, an evening aarti with the Chalisa is also widely done; temples typically keep darshan open through the day.

What should you offer to Hanuman?

These are traditional practices, not strict requirements. The common teaching is that sincerity matters more than the cost or grandeur of the offering.

Why do people worship Hanuman on Tuesdays and Saturdays?

In Vedic astrology Tuesday is associated with Mangal (Mars) and Saturday with Shani (Saturn), and devotees traditionally turn to Hanuman on these days for courage, protection and steadiness. Many people facing Mangal dosha or the Sade Sati period of Saturn recite the Hanuman Chalisa as a calming practice. Astrology and faith traditions describe this as a source of strength and discipline rather than a guaranteed cure, so it is best paired with practical effort and, where needed, professional advice.