By focusing on contemporary popular religious traditions, the book represents a substantial contribution to the study of modern religious practices in Banaras, holy city of India. This book offers in-depth, ethnographic views of many contemporary popular religious practices that have, for the most part, received little attention by scholars. Topics covered include the Ramlila celebrations, devotion to Hanuman, and goddess worship, and the way that Banarsi Boli, the local dialect of Banaras, supports its users in their identification with the sacred city.

Hanuman has and always will have a unique position in the heart of story lovers and everyone else. When we speak of Hanuman, it unveils or more precisely floods the heart with happiness, excitement, and a feeling of taking part in a great adventure.Hanuman is not only meant for entertaining the story lovers, but he is a personification of every quality one is looking for being successful in life. He is a role model for being a great communicator, as he did when he went as messenger on behalf of Sugriva, and later giving message to mother Sita and warning Ravana. Hanuman is not only a great communicator, he is also an executor of orders from the superiors, not only the textual, but situational, that is the style of one who is 1st class, for example when he was sent by Rama to give a message to Sita, certainly Hanuman did that, but he also wanted to estimate the power of the army of Ravana, and wanted to give Ravana some glimpse of Rama’s power by burning the great golden city. In this compilation we can learn so many qualities of Hanuman in a very entertaining way. This book addresses the need of all classes of people; it is an absorbing entertainment for a child, a book to educate children for parents, a life-style management for the youth, a motivational guide for those in the competitive world, a meditation for those who worship Hanuman and a treasure for those who love him. In conclusion, this is a book which will guarantee wholesome satisfaction to every member of the family. Delve into the stories of Hanuman and learn from your favorite hero!

The esteemed Jungian psychologist counsels on how to cope with feelings of failure or regret in the latter half of life and how to open to a more meaningful existence, even if outer circumstances cannot be changed.

Reflecting on one of Hinduism's most popular prayer for positive energy Acclaimed mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik demystifies the Hanuman Chalisa for the contemporary reader. His unique approach makes the ancient hymn accessible, combined as it is with his trademark illustrations. Every time we experience negativity in the world and within ourselves, every time we encounter jealousy, rage and frustration, manifesting as violation and violence, we hear, or read, the Hanuman Chalisa. Composed over four hundred years ago by Tulsidas, its simple words in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi and its simple metre, musically and very potently evoke the mythology, history and mystery of Hanuman, the much-loved Hindu deity, through whom Vedic wisdom reached the masses. As verse follows verse, our frightened, crumpled mind begins to expand with knowledge and insight and our faith in humanity, both within and without, is restored.

The talks presented in this volume, first published in 1977, were originally delivered during a retreat in New York, in which speakers from a variety of spiritual traditions were represented. It aims to show the value of yoga in everyday life, and its relation to many other religions and philosophies.

Hanuman, the devoted monkey helper of Rama and Sita, has long been recognized as a popular character in India's ancient Ramayana epic. But more recently he has also become one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in the Hindu pantheon - enshrined in majestic new temples, but equally present in poster art, advertising, and mass media. Drawing on Sanskrit and vernacular texts, classical iconography and modern TV serials, and extensive fieldwork and interviews, Philip Lutgendorf challenges the academic cliché of Hanuman as a "minor" or "folk" deity by exploring his complex and growing role in South Asian religion and culture. This wide-ranging study examines the historical evolution of Hanuman's worship, his close association with Shiva and goddesses, his invocation in tantric ritual, his physical immortality and enduring presence in sacred sites, and his appeal to devotees who include scholars, wrestlers, healers, politicians, and middle-class urbanites. Lutgendorf also offers a rich array of entertaining stories not previously available in English: an expanding epic cycle that he christens the "Hanumayana." Arguing that Hanuman's role as cosmic "middle man" is intimately linked to his embodiment in a charming and provocative simian form, Lutgendorf moves beyond the Indian subcontinent to interrogate the wider human fascination with anthropoid primates as boundary beings and as potent signifiers of both Self and Other.