Myth of the Week · India
Hanuman for kids: the flying monkey hero
· P.Sean Tales
Could you jump across an ocean? Hanuman did. He is the monkey hero of Indian legend — brave, funny, unbelievably strong, and completely loyal to his friends.
The leap
In the great epic called the Ramayana, Hanuman had to cross the sea to reach a faraway island. So he grew himself enormous, took a running start from a mountaintop, and leapt the whole way in a single bound — the most famous jump in mythology.
The whole mountain
Later, Hanuman was sent to fetch one particular healing herb from a distant peak. He could not tell which plant was the right one, so he simply picked up the entire mountain and carried it back. Problem solved.
The hero who forgot
Here is the loveliest part: as a boy Hanuman was so powerful and so mischievous that his powers were hidden from him, and he forgot them entirely. He only remembers how strong he is when a friend truly needs him.
Did you know?
Hanuman is often shown carrying a mace and wearing a crown — and in many pictures he is opening his own chest to show the people he loves are kept safely inside his heart.
Color the legend yourself
Hanuman leaps through Indian Heroes & Beasts — the heroes, epics and sacred animals of India, ready to color:
- Indian Heroes & Beasts — Hanuman, Rama and the sacred beasts
- Indian Gods & Goddesses
- Indian Demons & Asuras
- Indian Spirits & Ghosts
Or start free: grab the free coloring pages.