Hanuman

Hanuman (/ˈhʌnʊˌmɑːn, ˈhɑːnʊ-, ˌhʌnʊˈmɑːn, ˌhɑːnʊ-/; Hanumān in IAST); also known as Mahavira or Bajrangbali, is a Hindu god and an ardent devotee of the god Rama. He is a central character in the Hindu epic Ramayana and its various versions. He is also mentioned in several other texts, including Mahabharata, the various Puranas and some Jain texts. A vanara (monkey), Hanuman participated in Rama's war against the demon king Ravana. Several texts also present him as an incarnation of the god Shiva. He is the son of Anjana and Kesari, and is also described as the son of the wind-god Vayu, who according to several stories, played a role in his birth.

Etymology and other names

The Sanskrit texts mention several legends about how Hanuman got his name. One legend is that Indra, the king of the gods, struck Hanuman's jaw during his childhood (see below). The child received his name from the Sanskrit words Hanu ("jaw") and -man (or -mant, "prominent" or "disfigured"). The name thus means "one with prominent or disfigured jaw". Another theory says the name derives from the Sanskrit words Han ("killed" or "destroyed") and maana (pride); the name implies "one whose pride was destroyed". Some Jain texts mention that Hanuman spent his childhood on an island called Hanuruha, which is the origin of his name.

Lord

Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others acting like a master, a chief, or a ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are entitled to courtesy titles. The collective "Lords" can refer to a group or body of peers.

Etymology

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, the etymology of the word can be traced back to the Old English word hlāford which originated from hlāfweard meaning "loaf-ward" or "bread keeper", reflecting the Germanic tribal custom of a chieftain providing food for his followers. The appellation "lord" is primarily applied to men, while for women the appellation "lady" is used. However, this is no longer universal: the Lord of Mann, a title currently held by the Queen of the United Kingdom, and female Lord Mayors are examples of women who are styled Lord.

Historical usage

Feudalism

Under the feudal system, "lord" had a wide, loose and varied meaning. An overlord was a person from whom a landholding or a manor was held by a mesne lord or vassal under various forms of feudal land tenure. The modern term "landlord" is a vestigial survival of this function. A liege lord was a person to whom a vassal owed sworn allegiance. Neither of these terms were titular dignities, but rather factual appellations, which described the relationship between two or more persons within the highly stratified feudal social system. For example, a man might be Lord of the Manor to his own tenants but also a vassal of his own overlord, who in turn was a vassal of the King. Where a knight was a lord of the manor, he was referred to in contemporary documents as "John (Surname), knight, lord of (manor name)". A feudal baron was a true titular dignity, with the right to attend Parliament, but a feudal baron, Lord of the Manor of many manors, was a vassal of the King.

Hanuman Chalisa

The Hanuman Chalisa (Hindi pronunciation: [ɦənʊmaːn tʃaːliːsaː]; literally Forty chaupais on Hanuman) is a Hindu devotional hymn (stotra) addressed to Hanuman. It is traditionally believed to have been authored by 16th-century poet Tulsidas in the Awadhi language, and is his best known text apart from the Ramcharitmanas. The word "chālīsā" is derived from "chālīs", which means the number forty in Hindi, as the Hanuman Chalisa has 40 verses (excluding the couplets at the beginning and at the end).

Hanuman is a vanara (a monkey-like humanoid deity), a devotee of Rama, and one of the central characters in the Indian epic poem, the Ramayana. Folk tales acclaim the powers of Hanuman. The qualities of Hanuman – his strength, courage, wisdom, celibacy, devotion to Rama and the many names by which he was known – are detailed in the Hanuman Chalisa. There are more temples devoted to Hanuman than any other deity in India, and recitation or chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa is a common religious practice. The Hanuman Chalisa is the most popular hymn in praise of Hanuman, and is recited by millions of Hindus every day.

Music director

A music director may be the director of an orchestra or concert band, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the coordinator of the musical ensembles in a university, college, or institution (but not usually the head of the academic music department), the head bandmaster of a military band, the head organist and choirmaster of a church, or an Organist and Master of the Choristers (a title given to a Director of Music at a cathedral, particularly in England).

Orchestra

The title of "music director" or "musical director" is used by many symphony orchestras to designate the primary conductor and artistic leader of the orchestra. The term "music director" is most common for orchestras in the United States. With European orchestras, the titles of "principal conductor" or "chief conductor" are more common, which designate the conductor who directs the majority of a given orchestra's concerts in a season. In musical theatre and opera, the music director is in charge of the overall musical performance, including ensuring that the cast knows the music thoroughly, supervising the musical interpretation of the performers and pit orchestra, and conducting the orchestra.

Hari Om Sharan

Hari Om Sharan (26 September 1932 – 17 December 2007) was a Hindu devotional singer and lyricist. He devoted most of his career in singing devotional songs in praise of Bhagwan Ram and Hanuman. As a Bhajan singer in the 1970s he recorded albums such as Premanjali Pushpanjai, and Data Ek Ram. His bhajan namely 'Tera Ram ji Karenge Bedaa Paar', 'Maili Chadar Odhke Kaise', 'Aarti Kunj Bihari ki', 'Aisa Pyar Bahaa De Maiyya', 'Shree Radhey Govinda', 'Hanuman Chalisa', 'Govind Jai Jai Gopal Jai Jai' are very popular amongst devotees around the world. During his devotional recordings spanning over 35 years, he released over 20 Bhajan albums.

Biography

Early life

Hari Om Sharan was born in Lahore, now in Pakistan, on 26 September 1932. His family migrated to India, after the Partition of India in 1947.

Recording career

He became a professional singer in 1973, singing his first album for HMV. During a trip to Guyana, he met Nandini, whom he later married, and settled down in India.

He appeared briefly in an English film, Holy Smoke! (1999), as a singer.