By Kiran Patel
NHSF (UK) Campus Co-ordinator
The National Hindu Students’ Forum (UK) North Zone Hanuman Chalisa has created a fantastic atmosphere in the North of the country whereby students and the wider community await to flock to the host City each year. Being such a renowned ever-lasting experience which attendees take away, the bhakti event has built strong ties amongst the students and the samaj.
The North Zone 108 Hanuman Chalisa has created an amazing legacy in numerous cities and also has a living legacy of its own. Starting off as a NHSF Manchester initiative, students of Manchester University gathered to hold a Hanuman Chalisa, and invited all other NHSF chapters in the North of England to join in at the Bhakti event. The event then created its mark in Bradford during 2011 where there was a powerful imprint left amongst the wider community with over 600 attendees. This then expanded in February 2012 where Hanuman Ji once again proved that heavy snow on the day of the event two years in a row would not prevent students and the samaj coming together and building bridges to show love and devotion in exactly the same way Hanuman Ji did to Lord Ram by being his biggest bhakt.
On Saturday 9th February 2013, NHSF Liverpool hosted the annual event which in its true form, integrated students and the Hindu samaj. As a gesture, each guest was given a scroll which had the Hanuman Chalisa printed on upon entering the Mandir, the morning started off with a havan where the priest explained to students why a havan is carried out. The havan was followed by attendees showing their prem (love) of the forty Chupai’s written by Tulsidas Ji based on Hanuman Ji as the perfect model of a devotee. Reciting these forty verses, students, friends and families were singing with such passion and devoutness that one could see the strength come alive in each individual through the bhakti yoga. Young children were also greatly involved with some taking to the microphone to show that at a tender age, they too can recite the Hanuman Chalisa.
The evening ended with Siva, the NHSF Liverpool president saying “Sangathan Mein Shakti Hai” that in unity lies strength as shown through the day where bridges were built between the students and the wider samaj.
