Who is the mother of Hanuman in the Ramayana?

Anjana is the mother of Hanuman in the Ramayana tradition. She is also called Anjani or Añjanā, and Hanuman is frequently given names such as Anjaneya and Anjaniputra, meaning “son of Anjana.”

Anjana is commonly described as a vanara woman and the wife of Kesari, a powerful vanara chief. The birth story also connects Hanuman with Vayu, the wind god. In the Valmiki Ramayana, Vayu’s divine agency grants Anjana a son, which explains Hanuman’s extraordinary speed, strength and ability to leap through the sky.

Because of this layered parentage, Hanuman is described in different traditions as Anjana’s son, Kesari’s son, Vayu’s son or a manifestation connected with Shiva. These descriptions are not usually treated as competing answers to the question about his mother: Anjana remains the standard answer.

The alternatives represent other major Ramayana figures. Tara is associated with Vali and Sugriva, Kaushalya is Rama’s mother, and Sita is Rama’s wife. Hanuman’s close relationship with Rama and his devotion to Sita make these names easy to encounter in the same stories, but none is his mother.