Hanuman

I met Hanuman the other day.

That is suppose to be funny by the way since he is a Hindu god of monkeys.   

Appartently he has been hiding in plain site for some time without my noticing.

I was riding along in my car this week on an extremely bumpy road heading to a local market to buy groceries. I was bouncing along minding my own business while taking in the sites around me including the people, cars, rickshaws, bicycles, elephants, cows, sheep, goats, pigs, dogs, trash, smells....etc when there he was...right in front me for weeks. Hanging from the rear view mirror in fact. I look at Hanuman, who I did not know at the time, and he is smiling in his mischievous way holding onto 2 strange looking items (one sort of roundish shape on a stick and the other item triangular). He is faded from the sun but happy none the less. I think to myself, 'Should I know who this strange monkey man is that gets to hang about doing nothing all day in my car.' I decide to ask Sushil who is my extremly skilled and talented driver (I will save the driving stories for another post as it boggles the mind how one drives in a town of 27 million people).

So I ask, "Who is that?"

Sushil responds, "Who mam?" 

I respond while pointing, "That little monkey man hanging from my mirror."

Sushil smiles ear to ear. I realize that smile is the same smile exactly as the one plastered on the monkey man's face. My mouth gaps open. The similarity is striking. Sushil says "Hanuman."

I keep looking at him. "And that is?"

Sushil, who is still smiling at me simply states "The monkey god, mam."

So I respond "Ah" in a very direct way implying that I know him well.  In reality I don't understand at all. For the rest of the drive I find my eyes wondering over to the monkey god. Who is he? What does he do hanging there all day? Why is he smiling like that?

That night I go home and look up "Hindu Monkey God" on the internet and there he is...Hanuman. He is usually represented with two items in his hands. One is a mountain (the triangle shape noted earlier) and the other is a club. These two items represent his many battles and triumphs over evil. He teaches Hindus about the  unlimited power that lies unused within each person. In fact on Tuesdays, and in some places in India on Saturdays too, many people fast in honour of Hanuman and give him special offerings. I am impressed with his strength, apparent happy attitude, and diligent following of Hindus. I state aloud "Well you go little monkey man!"



So Hanuman will stay hanging from my rear view mirror. For I am not a Hindu, but in this traffic one is glad to have the champion of "GOOD" hanging about smiling at the other drivers rushing past you.