I was visiting the Statue of Equality with my family this weekend on the 1st of June 2024. Luckily, it was the day of Hanuman Jayanthi. The priests were performing abhishekam, sacred bath to the vigraha, statue form of Hanuman.
I listened to HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji who explained what was going on there. Feeling fulfilled, we set off to head home and were talking about the whole visit during the trip back to home.
My elder one asked, “Papa…, How is it meaningful to give a bath to a statue?”
Read below to know where I got my answer for her question…
We see what love does to people. We get driven to express it towards the one we love in various ways. Delved deep in love, it won’t matter if the person is with you or not. It won’t matter if the person is in a different continent or in a different time-zone. It won’t matter if the person is even alive or not. We look at old albums of our lost loved ones and relive the moments spent.
Our scriptures went further to describe how devotees expressed bhakthi, (love for the divine) not realizing what time, place or situation they are in. At times, not even the same yuga (4,32,000 years)!
Hanuman, the beloved devotee of Lord Rama and mother Sitha from the great ithiha:sa, Sri Ramayana, won the hearts of millions of people. The inspiration that our people draw from Hanuman and the devotion our people have towards Hanuman is depicted through the makings of magnanimous statues all around the world. People are devoted to him for the ra:maka:rya, Rama’s work, he achieved with immense determination, courage, valor, and wisdom.
An expression of natural outpouring love for Hanuman, people perform abhishe:kam, sacred bath to Hanuman’s vigraha, deity form.
People relive the time from the ancient history, and offer a sacred bath praying that Hanuman is relieved from all the hard work he did while building the ‘bridge’ between Rama, the avatar of Lord and Sitha, the symbol of soul. The ‘beauty’ of the ‘bridge’ lies in the fact that it goes beyond the physical bridge. It is symbolic of the eternal union of a seeker devoted soul with the supreme Lord.
sakrude:va prapanna:ya thava:smi:thi cha ya:chathe:
abhayam sarva bhu:the:bhyo: dada:mye:thath vratham mama
Rama takes an oath to protect anyone who seeks His refuge. An oath while on soaked clothes with turmeric on head and thulasi on the neck signifies how serious He is about it…
Why wait? Pray to Lord Hanuman, who also is taking an oath for protect all the followers of Lord Rama!
O:m sundara se:thave: namaha!
I surrender to the ‘beautiful bridge’…
That is why we worship Hanuman, we offer services to him out of devotion. That is why, we offer abhishe:kam, sacred bath to Hanuman. That is why, we chant the name of Hanuman…
– From the discourse of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 1st June 2024, Hanumad Jayanthi
– Statue of Equality
I listened to Swamiji’s speech and could answer my elder daughter. This is the greatness of the acha:rya parampara, the lineage of acharyas who can explain the depths of eternal realities in simple words. My pranamams to the sampradaya and the sacred vedic wisdom.
– A father desiring to learn and teach his kids of…
– great sources of eternal knowledge
– Thankful for such opportunities that Time showers
The abhishe:kam performed for magnanimous vigraha, deity form of Hanuman with various natural ingredients reminds us of…
the great snow fall on the divine Kailash mountains
the divine golden mountain, Mount Meru
Hanuman’s anger that killed the demons torturing mother Sitha in Lanka
Vanaras state of happy hearts celebrating the successful return of Hanuman from Lanka by filling themselves with nectar from Madhuvana
