Hanuman’s Crimson Devotion—A Smear of Sindoor, A Sea of Bhakti

Among the pantheon of Hindu deities, Lord Hanuman stands apart—not merely as a mighty vanquisher of evil or as an immortal servant of dharma, but as the very embodiment of pure devotion. He is not just a figure of strength; he is a flame of selfless love, burning only in the name of Shri Rama.

And in this sea of devotion, one tale—simple, touching, and profound—captures the heart of bhakti like no other: the story of Hanuman smearing sindoor all over his body.


One quiet moment in the royal palace of Ayodhya, Hanuman, ever watchful and devoted, observed something curious. Mata Sita, the beloved consort of Lord Rama, was applying sindoor—the crimson vermilion—to the parting of her hair.

Hanuman, whose heart was childlike in curiosity yet divine in its innocence, asked, “Mata, why do you apply this red powder to your head every day?”

Sita smiled, touched by the simplicity of the question, and explained, “This is sindoor, my son. It is a symbol of my love and prayer for the long life and well-being of your Lord Rama. A married woman applies it as a sacred mark of her husband’s presence in her life.”

Hanuman stood silent for a moment. Then, his heart swelled with a sudden storm of emotion. If a pinch of sindoor could ensure Rama’s long life, how much more could be ensured if the entire body was covered in it?

Without hesitation, Hanuman ran to a corner of the palace, found a pot of sindoor, and smeared it from head to toe across his entire body. His hair turned red, his face glowed crimson, and his arms bore the color of blood—not of war, but of love.

When Rama saw this striking sight, he smiled and asked in amazement, “Hanuman! Why are you covered in sindoor?”

Hanuman bowed humbly and said, “Prabhu, Mata said this sindoor brings you a long life. I want nothing more than to serve you forever. So I thought, if a little gives you many years, perhaps this much will grant you eternity.”

Tears welled in Rama’s eyes. In that moment, he embraced Hanuman—not as a servant, not as a warrior, but as a devotee par excellence, one whose love was beyond all comprehension.

Sindoor is more than a pigment—it carries deep symbolism in Hindu dharma:
In Hanuman’s act, the sindoor became not a cosmetic, but a sacred offering—his entire body, his ego, his identity, dyed in the color of surrender.


To this day, in many parts of India—particularly in the north—Hanuman’s idols are seen coated in bright red sindoor paste. Devotees offer vermilion mixed with oil as a symbol of his eternal devotion.

Why red? Because red is the color of:
By covering himself in sindoor, Hanuman was declaring to the universe: “Let me burn in love, let my body be the wick and devotion be the flame.”

Hanuman is not just a deity; he is the model devotee. In the Bhakti tradition, especially in the Ram Bhakta sampradayas, his qualities are held up as ideals for all sadhakas:

In the sindoor story, all three aspects converge. A servant’s heart, a lover’s madness, and a renunciate’s offering—all dyed crimson in a single gesture.

Hanuman’s act wasn’t symbolic alone; it was deeply spiritual. In yogic and Vedantic terms, it represents:

In a way, Hanuman teaches: “Don’t just speak of devotion—bathe in it. Don’t just offer a flower—become the offering.”


In the Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas, Rama tells Hanuman:

“Suni kapikatha bhakati rati laagi |
Mo para prema bhagati adhika bhaagi.”

"Hearing your story, devotion arises in the listener. You have more bhakti than even I could ever receive from another."

Some traditions even say that Rama gave Hanuman a place above himself. Why? Because while God is infinite, it is the devotee who gives Him form, voice, purpose.

Rama may be the Lord, but Hanuman’s bhakti is the lens through which we see His glory.

In a time when devotion is often ritualistic or transactional, Hanuman’s story is a reminder of purity:
In today’s world, smearing sindoor like Hanuman could mean immersing ourselves fully in love for our duties, families, and ideals—without hesitation, without shame, without bargaining.

Hanuman’s sindoor is not merely a tale—it is an invitation. To walk the path of bhakti not halfway, not cautiously, but completely. To smear our egos with love, to dye our pride with surrender, and to let every action, every breath, every heartbeat, echo with the name of the Beloved.

As Tulsidas wrote:
“Jahān sumiran karu Hanumat birāje,
Tahan bighna nāhi koi bājhe.”

"Wherever Hanuman is remembered, no obstacle dares to stay."

But what Hanuman teaches most is this: true strength is in surrender, true power is in purity, and true greatness is in love.

Let us, then, not fear to be dyed like him—not in sindoor, perhaps, but in devotion that never fades.