A long time ago, in the peaceful mountains and forests of India, the wind whispered through the trees and carried special blessings from the gods. One day, the mighty Wind God, Vayu, received a special task from Lord Shiva: to help bring a great hero into the world. This hero would one day protect goodness and help Lord Rama, the prince of Ayodhya.

In a small forest kingdom, there lived a kind monkey queen named Anjana. She was praying to Lord Shiva for a child who would be strong, brave, and good. One day, as she prayed, a magical fruit gifted by the gods floated down from the sky. She ate it, and to everyone’s joy, she gave birth to a wonderful baby monkey named Hanuman.

From the moment Hanuman was born, everyone could tell he was special. He had the power of the wind, strength like no other, and a mischievous smile that lit up the whole forest. He even tried to fly up and eat the sun once, thinking it was a big, juicy mango!

Because he was born from the blessings of Vayu and Lord Shiva, people believed Hanuman was a mix of divine strength, bravery, and love.

As Hanuman grew, so did his strength and kindness. He became the most devoted follower of Lord Rama, the prince who fought against evil and protected dharma (righteousness).

During the great story of the Ramayana, Hanuman flew across the ocean to find Sita, Lord Rama’s wife, who had been taken by the demon king Ravana. Hanuman leaped over mountains, talked to talking animals, and even carried an entire mountain of magical herbs to save Rama’s brother!

He used his powers not to show off, but to help others. That’s why Hanuman is known as a symbol of devotion, courage, and service.

People loved Hanuman so much that they decided to celebrate his birthday each year — and that day is called Hanuman Jayanti!

Now, here comes the magical twist!

Because Hanuman is such a special and magical being, different parts of India remember and honor his birthday in two different ways:

• In North India, people celebrate Hanuman Jayanti during the full moon in the month of Chaitra (March–April). This is when they believe he was actually born to Queen Anjana.

• In South India, people celebrate it in the month of Margazhi or Dhanu (December–January), believing it was the time when Hanuman first met Lord Rama and devoted himself completely to him.

So one day celebrates his birth, and the other celebrates his spiritual awakening and devotion!

And that’s why, every year, Hanuman gets twice the cake, twice the prayers, and twice the love from everyone.