Hanuman: Strength and Devotion

In the cabinet, the deity Hanuman takes up a prominent role. Looking at the temple, multiple statues of the deity are present. The copper statue of Hanuman (figure 1) was the first object the owner of the temple bought in the Netherlands, while the colorful statue made of clay was purchased in Suriname (figure 2).

Hanuman is a popular figure within the Hindu pantheon and is a central character within the Ramayana, a major epic about the life of the legendary prince and deity Rama. Hanuman is depicted with the face of a monkey and generally has a large gada (mace) in his hand. Moreover, he has the ability to shapeshift, through which he can become very small and immensely large. The latter allows him to possess enormous amounts of strength. The copper statue, for example, shows him holding up a large piece of rock. This refers to a quest in which Hanuman decided to lift the entire Himalayan Mountain and carried it across India (figure 1 and 3).