Lord Hanuman took center stage as the voices of 2,000 devotees chanting the Hanuman Chalisa echoed across Chino Hills, California. The scale was striking: 108 sacred Havan Kund (fire pits), 15,000 recitations of the Hanuman Chalisa, and six hours of continuous chanting.
But beyond the numbers, the gathering reflected a central quality associated with Lord Hanuman—devotion expressed through selfless service and a willingness to act for the larger good. Held on September 5, the Shri Hanuman Chalisa Samashti Havan was a day of collective prayer, chanting, and service hosted by Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles (CMLA).
Organized as part of the worldwide celebrations of Chinmaya Mission’s 75th anniversary, Chinmaya Amrit Mahotsav, the event brought together devotees and members of the Indian American community from across Southern California.
At dawn, a bejeweled Panchamukha Hanuman deity was carried in procession from its temple in Torrance to the havan site in Chino Hills. Installed as the presiding deity, the idol remained the spiritual focus of the day.
Swami Swaroopananda, head of Chinmaya Mission Worldwide, presided over the gathering along with Swami Shantananda, president of Chinmaya West. Spiritual leaders, community representatives, and elected officials also attended, including Congressman Dave Min, who spoke about diversity and the importance of collective harmony.
The idea of samashti—the collective or whole—ran through the gathering. Hundreds of individual acts of prayer became one shared spiritual practice as participants sat around 108 fire pits and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa together.
The ceremony was conducted in four batches. Each group was guided into the Havan arena, where ghee, flowers, rice, sandalwood paste, and kumkum had been placed at each fire pit. Volunteers lit all 108 fires while instructions appeared on large LED screens.
The afternoon heat and swirling smoke did little to quiet the chanting. With each repetition, the voices of the participants grew more unified.
Children from CMLA’s Bala Vihar program joined in as well, reciting the verses composed by poet-saint Goswami Tulsidas from the stage. For many, the ceremony became more than an observance—it was an opportunity to experience devotion collectively and pass it to the next generation.
Swami Swaroopananda spoke about the spiritual significance of the Hanuman Chalisa and shared a traditional account in which Lord Shiva blesses those who chant it with sincerity. He also noted that, as part of Chinmaya Mission’s global 75th anniversary celebrations, the Hanuman Chalisa has been chanted approximately 550 million times worldwide.
A prominent exhibit presented the life story of Chinmaya Mission founder Swami Chinmayananda through large vertical visual panels.
The gathering also reflected the wider community work of CMLA, which has seven regional centers across Southern California. Its Sunday Bala Vihar program currently serves about 1,000 children, while the centers offer spiritual education, cultural programs, and community activities.
For Chinmaya Mission Los Angeles, the havan therefore brought together several dimensions of the Hanuman tradition: prayer, discipline, service, and community.
In the spirit of the Hanuman Ansh movie—the divine quality of Hanuman that can be cultivated within oneself—the day offered a reminder that devotion need not remain confined to ritual. It can find expression in how one serves, connects, and contributes to the larger whole.
The day ended with a maha arati, with Swami Ishwarananda thanking the devotees and volunteers for their collective effort to make it possible.
About Chinmaya Mission
Chinmaya Mission was established in India in 1953 by devotees of Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati. Chinmaya Mission is a global spiritual and educational organzition that teaches the ancient wisdom of Advaita Vedanta and the practical applications of Hindu scriptures. Administered from Mumbai, it operates over 350 centers worldwide, offering spiritual, educational, and social service programs. Its current head is Swami Swaroopananda.
For more info: https://chinmayala.org
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