Hanuman Chalisa Samashti Havan - a Grand Celebration

“It is said that Lord Shiva was so pleased with Sant Tulsidas’s Hanuman Chalisa that he gave a blessing: the one who chants Hanuman Chalisa a hundred times will attain life’s goals, and all bondage and limitations will come to an end” -- Pujya Swami Swaroopananda

On Sept 5, as part of the commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Chinmaya Mission - Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav celebrations -  Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles (CMLA) held a grand event in Chino Hills. The event, called the Shri Hanuman Chalisa Samashti Havan, was a homage to Lord Hanuman, one of the most important and beloved deities for all Hindus. 

Hanuman Chalisa, the timeless composition of Saint Tulsidas in praise of Lord Hanuman and considered to be an ode to devotion, was chanted throughout the day by the thousands of devotees who attended the event.

To understand the scale of the event, here are some raw numbers: about 2,300 participants, 108 havans (sacred fires) running simultaneously, Hanuman Chalisa chanted about 15,000 times, 6 hours of chanting, over 2,300 meals served. 

The event was far more than impressive statistics, of course: it was an occasion for the Indian-American community to come together from all over Southern California in solidarity and fellowship and devotion, and to be seen and to be heard as an integral part of society in this diverse country.

The activity for the event began at dawn, with a group of volunteers and ritviks transporting the splendidly bejeweled Panchamukha Hanuman idol from its temple in Torrance with care and devotion, carrying Him in procession to the accompaniment of live chenda mela music and establishing Him at the Havan site as the main deity. Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda’s padukas were also in procession. Aarti was done at the feet of the deity and Pujya Gurudev to inaugurate the proceedings.

Felicitations

A glittering ensemble of dignitaries attended the morning session. Swami Swaroopananda, Head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, graced and presided over the event. Swami Shantananda, President of Chinmaya West, also blessed the event. A beautiful souvenir produced by CMLA commemorating the 75th anniversary of Chinmaya Mission was released by Swami Swaroopananda.

US congressman Representative Dave Min (D-CA-47) was the guest of honor. Irvine councilmember Melinda Liu, Artesia councilmember Zeel Ahir and Consul from the Indian Embassy, Kulwant Singh, were distinguished guests. 

Swami Ishwarananda, spiritual head of CMLA, was felicitated for his service to Chinmaya Mission and to the So Cal community. This year marks CMLA’s 30th anniversary, and under his leadership the flagship Sunday Bala Vihar program has grown by leaps and bounds to now nurture more than 1000 children. Warm messages of congratulation came from US Senator Adam Schiff (D) and California congresswoman Young Kim  (R-CA-40) and were read out by Nimmi Raghunathan, President of CMLA.

Representative Dave Min gave a well received address where he emphasized the concepts of unity and diversity as bedrock principles for our society. These remarks were in complete harmony with the concept of the event: Samashti in the title means "collective" or "whole", and is intended to unite the community. Rep. Min even quoted from writings on Lord Shiva to underline harmony. He also spoke in remembrance of the victims of the recent floods in Nepal. 

It was gratifying to see him along with the other dignitaries, sporting tilaks to signify participation in the proceedings. 

Swami Swaroopananda, the global head of Chinmaya Mission, addressed the audience, reminding them about the celebration of the 75th year throughout the world in over 300 centers of Chinmaya Mission. He invited everyone to attend the Global Sammelan at Bharat Mandap in New Delhi from October 23-25, 2026. Earlier he also opened the 3 foot form of Hanumanji, which was 3D printed in the CMLA facility itself.

108 Havan Kunds

The first batch of devotees took their seats at the 108 havans to start the chanting, followed by four more batches. Each batch chanted for about an hour. Here is the experience of a typical devotee from start to finish:

Event parking was well organized and plentiful, with clear signs guiding attendees to the parking area. At the entrance of the event area, shoe bags were arranged in neat, numbered racks for each group to deposit their footwear. The welcome and registration hall was staffed with helpful volunteers, with ladies in crisp cream-and-saffron sarees and gents in white kurtas with saffron scarves. Each participant was given a beautiful 3D-printed Hanuman murti that was created at CMLA along with a wrist band and sacred thread.

The flow then took the participants to the large sabha hall. At a seating area inside, a clear and concise orientation video on a large screen explained the puja procedure in simple terms and familiarized the devotees with the puja materials.

Along the walls, each CMLA chapter had set up an exhibition booth highlighting their activities throughout the year. Rameshwaram, Brea, Redlands, San Gabriel, South Bay, Rancho Cucamonga and Agoura Hills participated in the displays. Each of them had also taken up some verses from Hanuman Chalisa to explain their meaning, with beautifully illustrated posters and banners. Rameshwaram had a section explaining Bala Vihar activities and its role in the spiritual education of our children.

There were face painting and mehendi volunteer artists of parents and Bala Vihar students, for the children and young at heart.

Informative banners explained the mission and ethos of CMLA and traced the history of its growth in Southern California. The bookstore had a display of the many publications put out by Chinmaya Mission, with topics of interest to everyone from children to serious students of Vedanta. 

One of the most prominent exhibits presented the life story of Chinmaya Mission founder Swami Chinmayananda through a series of large vertical visual panels. The display proved popular, with many attendees stopping to view the exhibit and take photographs.

Children under 13 were not allowed at the havan due to fire marshal restrictions. While the adult members of their families participated in the havan, the children were supervised and engaged by volunteers at the booths. They were then invited to participate in a mock havan, helping them understand and experience what their parents were also taking part in.

About 15 minutes before the appointed hour of the participant's havan, volunteers helped the devotees follow a path to their allocated seat. The 108 havans were neatly laid out in a grid pattern with several usherers to guide people to their seats. At the havan table, a fresh set of puja samagri had already been neatly laid out, with ghee, flowers, rice, chandan, kumkum, pavitram, water, camphor and incense. The havan itself had fresh fuel bricks set up, ready to be lit. Puja volunteers checked each havan to ensure that there were no missing items. It was clear that behind the scenes, careful organization and synchronization had ensured that the process was seamless and pleasant. A tireless Swami Ishwarananda walked through the rows of havans to greet participants personally, his jovial presence adding to the feeling of welcome and belonging to all.

Each session began on a beautiful devotional note, with a few short bhajans presented by a group of Bala Vihar or Shruti children, or by the adult Shlokanjali group. The students had dedicated time during their summer holidays to practice and perfect their chanting. Their sincere preparation, enthusiasm, and devotion were evident in every session, adding a special sense of joy and reverence to the proceedings.

The havan itself began, with instructions for each step projected on a large screen for all to easily follow.  After opening prayers, each havan was lit by volunteers. Hanuman Chalisa was then chanted 7 times by the devotees, assisted by a recorded chant and live chanting by the Bala Vihar students. The swirling wind sometimes blew smoke into the participants' faces. The heat of the day and heat from the havan buffeted the devotees. The atmosphere of devotion, focus and enthusiasm was so powerful that the chanting went on unflaggingly, growing ever stronger with each repetition. The end of the chanting left all in a state of heightened awareness and serenity.

After exiting the havan area, the participants were directed to the dining hall, where a delicious boxed prasad meal consisting of puris, chole, pulav, dhokla and gulab jamun was served, along with a cooling yogurt drink. Seating was available for those who wanted to eat their meal on site. The Swamis in attendance also partook of the meal as bhiksha.

Finally, all 5 batches of devotees had concluded their havan. A maha-aarati was then conducted by the priests and joined in by Swami Ishwarananda.

Venkatesh Warren, the treasurer of CMLA, thanked everyone for their generous support and cooperation in the successful conclusion of the lengthy and complex event, expressing deepest appreciation to all the volunteers, whose unflagging dedication made the event a resounding success.