Hanuman (Mahabir Bajrang Bali)

This print depicts the monkey-general Hanuman, staunch ally of Rama, in a dramatic scene from the Ramayana epic. In the battle with Ravana’s forces of Lanka, Rama’s brother Lakshmana is severely wounded. Hanuman, knowing of the healing powers of a certain herb, sanjivani, that flourishes only on mountain peaks in the Himalayas, flies there to secure some. Impatient at the prospect of gathering the herbs, he instead rips the mountain peak apart and carries it back to the ailing Lakshmana, where he administers the healing agent and restores the warrior’s health. The story is seen by devotees as a demonstration of the fathomless depths of Hanuman’s devotion and loyalty as well as his renowned supernatural strength.