श्री हनुमान चालीसा
If there's one prayer that cuts across every region, language, and tradition in India, it's this one. Tulsidas wrote these forty verses in Awadhi, not Sanskrit, not for scholars, but for everyone. They tell the story of Hanuman: the one who leapt across the ocean, carried a mountain, and never once asked for anything in return. People chant the Chalisa when they're afraid, when they need courage, when nothing else works. Millions do it daily, especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays. There's a reason it's survived five centuries. These verses just work.
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Chant all 44 verses →The opening verses are below.
ശ്രീ ഗുരു ചരണ സരോജ രജ നിജമന മുകുര സുധാരി വരണൌ രഘുവര വിമല യശ ജോ ദായക ഫലചാരി
ബുദ്ധിഹീന തനു ജാനികേ സുമിരൌ പവനകുമാര ബല ബുദ്ധി വിദ്യാ ദേഹു മോഹി ഹരഹു കലേശ വികാര
ജയ ഹനുമാന ജ്ഞാനഗുണസാഗര
ജയ കപീശ തിഹു ലോക ഉജാഗര
രാമദൂത അതുലിത ബലധാമാ
അംജനിപുത്ര പവനസുത നാമാ
മഹാവീര വിക്രമ ബജരംഗീ
കുമതി നിവാര സുമതി കേ സംഗീ
ബുദ്ധിഹീന തനു ജാനികേ സുമിരൌ പവനകുമാര ബല ബുദ്ധി വിദ്യാ ദേഹു മോഹി ഹരഹു കലേശ വികാര
Chanting the Chalisa in the Malayalam tradition
In Kerala the Chalisa is a relative newcomer, layered on top of Ramayana Parayanam, the daily recitation of the Adhyatma Ramayanam that fills temple courtyards through Karkidakam month every July and August. Two temples stand out for Hanuman devotion specifically. Sree Raghavapuram at Hanumarambalam near Payyanur is one of the rare Kerala temples where Hanuman has his own sreekovil and overshadows the main deity. Alathiyur Hanuman temple in Malappuram, where the deity is shown carrying the Sanjeevani herb in an unusual posture of urgent service, draws large crowds during Mandala Pooja and on Saturdays year round. Malayalam script handles the original Awadhi vowels through its own retroflex-heavy system, so devotees often chant the Chalisa with longer held vowels than the Hindi original carries. Most Malayali devotees come to the Chalisa as a complement to Ramayanam, not a replacement.