Sacred Texts
A chalisa (चालीसा) is a devotional hymn of forty chaupais (couplets) in praise of a Hindu deity — the word comes from chālīs, Hindi for forty. The defining example is Hanuman Chalisa by the 16th-century saint Tulsidas, recited daily by hundreds of millions of devotees. Browse the full collection below.
हनुमान चालीसा
Hanuman Chalisa
Tulsidas
दुर्गा चालीसा
Durga Chalisa
Traditional
गणेश चालीसा
Ganesh Chalisa
Traditional
शिव चालीसा
Shiv Chalisa
Traditional
लक्ष्मी चालीसा
Lakshmi Chalisa
Traditional
सरस्वती चालीसा
Saraswati Chalisa
Traditional
शनि चालीसा
Shani Chalisa
Traditional
राम चालीसा
Ram Chalisa
Traditional
कृष्ण चालीसा
Krishna Chalisa
Traditional
सूर्य चालीसा
Surya Chalisa
Traditional
हनुमान अष्टक
Hanuman Ashtak
Traditional
बजरंग बाण
Bajrang Baan
Tulsidas
Questions & Answers
A Chalisa (from the Hindi word 'chālīs', meaning forty) is a devotional hymn composed of forty chaupais (metered couplets) in praise of a Hindu deity. The most famous is the Hanuman Chalisa composed by the 16th-century saint-poet Tulsidas in Awadhi Hindi. The format was later adopted for other deities — Durga, Shiva, Lakshmi, Ganesha and more.
The Hanuman Chalisa has exactly 40 chaupais (main verses) plus 2 invocatory dohas at the opening and 1 concluding doha — 43 verses in total. The 40 chaupais are the core of the chalisa and give the composition its name.
The Hanuman Chalisa itself states (Chaupai 39) that reciting it brings siddhi (spiritual accomplishment), and (Chaupai 38) that reciting it a hundred times brings freedom from bondage and great joy. Devotees traditionally recite it on Tuesdays and Saturdays — days associated with Hanuman — for strength, courage, removal of fear, and protection from evil influences.
The Hanuman Chalisa is written in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi spoken in the Awadh region of Uttar Pradesh. Tulsidas composed it in the same language as the Ramcharitmanas. The text uses the Doha and Chaupai meters common in medieval Bhakti literature.
A doha is a two-line rhyming couplet used as a frame verse. In the Hanuman Chalisa there are two opening dohas (invoking the Guru and Hanuman) and one closing doha. The 40 main verses are chaupais — four-line metered compositions each making one complete devotional statement.
Bajrang Baan (literally 'the arrow of Bajrangi') is a separate composition attributed to Tulsidas, consisting of 33 chaupais. It is a more intense, urgent invocation of Hanuman's protection — traditionally recited in times of fear, crisis, or to remove evil spirits. The Hanuman Chalisa is a general daily devotional prayer; Bajrang Baan is reserved for specific protective purposes.
