Birth of the Monkey Warrior

Today is Hanuman Jayanthi, the birthday of the Hindu God Hanuman, the monkey warrior.

Once upon a time, long long ago...

...there lived a Varana called Anjani, who was a devotee of Lord Shiva.
For years, she had been trying for a baby, but unlike the rest of the women in her tribe, she was unable to become pregnant.
Everyday she would ignore the taunts and mockery thrown at her and instead would pray to Lord Shiva for a child.
After many many months, she grew tired of waiting and journeyed to Mount Kailash to find Shiva himself and ask for a baby.

When she got to Shiva's abode, she found him deep in meditation but pleaded with him to help her nevertheless. Shiva however, remained deep in a state of meditation.

Anjani, now so frustrated threatened to take her own life, and began banging her head against Shiva's lingam in violent desperation. Shiva was unable to tolerate this and so stirred from his meditation to appease Anjani, "why are you doing this?"

"I don't want to live if I can't have a child. Everyone mocks and abuses me, life is not worth living", cried Anjani.

Shiva upon hearing this granted Anjani a boon, "go home, and you will conceive. No one will mock you any longer, for your baby will be very special".

Anjani, so relieved to hear this, fell at Shiva's feet with gratitude, before leaving for her home.

On her journey home, whilst walking through the forrest, a sudden and mighty gust of wind blew through the trees, and embraced Anjani, and it was at this moment that she conceived.

That is why Hanuman is also known as Anjani-putra and Pavan-sutra (son of Anjani, son of Pavan - the wind god).

Hanuman is a very popular Hindu God and symbolises the pinnacle of bhakti (devotion/faith), and Hindus consider him to be the eleventh avatar of Lord Shiva.

He's the epitome of wisdom, brahmacharya, valour, righteousness and strength.

There are many more tales about Hanuman, like how his destiny to serve Rama was coined when he ate the Sun, and tales of the Ramayana, but I'll share these with you another time.