In North India there is a saying: pehle Hanuman, phir Bhagwan, first Hanuman, then God. Though a monkey, Hanuman, is one of the most widely worshiped gods in India. With no sophisticated philosophy associated with him, he is simply sankat mochan, the remover of problems, whose image stands alone in roadside shrines at crossroads, at entrances of cities, citadels, temples and homes. Though beast, he embodies all the qualities that make a human worthy of adoration: humility, strength and wisdom. And in a caste-based feudal society like India, Hanuman who stands outside the temple facing the street seems more accessible to the masses than his distant master, the royal Ram.

-D. Pattanaik