Añjanā

Añjanā or Añjani (Sanskrit: अञ्जना) is the mother of Lord Hanuman, one of the heroes of the Indian epic, the Ramayana.

Añjanā
Anjani with Child Hanuman (Bronze - Pallava Period).
Devanagari	अञ्जना
Affiliation	Mother of Hanuman
Texts	Ramayana and its other versions
Personal information
Spouse	Kesari
Children	Hanuman

Legend

According to a version of the legend, Añjanā was an apsara named Puñjikastalā, who was born on earth as a vanara princess due to a curse of a sage.[1] Anjana was married Kesari, a vanara chief and son of Brihaspati.[2]

Anjana was mother of Lord Hanuman. Being Anjana's son Hanuman also called Anjaneya.[3] There are several different legends about birth of Hanuman. According to Eknath's Bhavartha Ramayana (16th century CE) states that when Anjana was worshiping Vayu, the King Dasharatha of Ayodhya was also performing the ritual of Putrakameshti yagna in order to have children. As a result, he received some sacred pudding (payasam) to be shared by his three wives, leading to the births of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. By divine ordinance, a kite snatched a fragment of that pudding and dropped it while flying over the forest where Anjana was engaged in worship. Vayu, the Hindu deity of the wind, delivered the falling pudding to the outstretched hands of Anjana, who consumed it. Hanuman was born to her as a result.[4][5] While according to some other legends Hanuman is 11th incarnation of Lord Shiva. Anjana and Kesari performed intense prayer to Lord Shiva to beget him as their child. Pleased with their devotion, Shiva granted the boon they sought.[4][6][7]

Worship

An idol of Anjani having son Hanuman in her lap in Anjani Hanuman Dham Temple, Chomu, Rajasthan

In Himachal Pradesh, Goddess Anjana is worshiped as a family deity. There is a temple dedicated to her at 'Masrer' near Dharamshala. It is believed that Sri Anjana once came and remained there for some time. One of the locals upon learning, revealed her real identity to the other villagers, going against her wishes. She soon left, but not before turning that villager into stone which remains outside her temple even to this day. Her vahana (vehicle) is a scorpion, hence believers worship Anjana after being bitten by a scorpion.[8]

In popular culture

Anjana is portrayed in several films and TV serials,

Year	Name	Played by	Channel	Country
1976	Bajrangbali (film)	Durga Khote		India
1997	Jai Hanuman	Phalguni Parekh	DD National
2008	Ramayan	Hetal Yadav	Imagine TV
2010	Jai Jai jai Bajrangbali	Aparna Tarakad	Sahara One
2015	Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman	Barkha Bisht Sengupta	Sony Entertainment Television

Notes

1. Saran, Renu (29 October 2014). Veer Hanuman: Gods & Goddesses in India. Diamond Pocket Books Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9798128819628.
2. M, Jose A. Guevara (2011). The Identity Zero. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-05396-4.
3. M, Jose A. Guevara (2011). The Identity Zero. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-05396-4.
4. M, Jose A. Guevara (2011). The Identity Zero. Lulu.com. ISBN 978-0-557-05396-4.
5. Malagi, Shivakumar G. (20 December 2018). "At Hampi, fervour peaks at Hanuman's birthplace". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
6. Pollet, Gilbert (January 1995). Indian Epic Values: Ramayana and Its Impact: Proceedings of the 8th International Ramayana Conference, Leuven, 6–8 July 1991 (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta). Peeters. ISBN 978-90-6831-701-5.
7. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 68.
8. "Anjana Devi | Devi". Hindu Scriptures | Vedic lifestyle, Scriptures, Vedas, Upanishads, Itihaas, Smrutis, Sanskrit. 18 March 2020. Retrieved 6 August 2020.