Sunderkand Path at Home: Vidhi, Duration and Rules

Sunderkand path is the reading or singing of the Sunderkand, the fifth of the seven kands (books) of Goswami Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, the Awadhi retelling of the Ramayana. Families read it at home, usually in one sitting, as an act of devotion to Hanuman ji and Shri Ram.

The Sunderkand tells of Hanuman's journey to Lanka. He crosses the ocean, searches the city, finds Sita in the Ashok Vatika and gives her Shri Ram's ring. He is brought before Ravan, Lanka is set ablaze, and he returns with Sita's message and her chudamani. The kand goes on to Vibhishan taking refuge with Shri Ram, and Shri Ram asking the ocean for a way across. Devotees hold it dear because Hanuman's courage, humility and devotion are at the centre of the story.

Valmiki's Ramayana also has a Sundara Kanda, and in many South Indian homes the parayana (reading) is of Valmiki's Sanskrit text. This guide follows the North Indian practice of reading Tulsidas's Sunderkand.

There is no wrong day for a path, but these occasions are traditional:

• Tuesdays and Saturdays, the days associated with Hanuman ji
• Hanuman Jayanti
• Griha pravesh, when moving into a new home
• Before a journey, an exam or the start of new work
• Family gatherings and satsangs, when relatives and neighbours read together
• A difficult time, when families turn to Hanuman ji, whom devotees call Sankat Mochan

Some families keep a regular path every Tuesday, or on a fixed day each month.

A full path at home usually takes one and a half to three hours. The time depends on:

• Pace: a practised reader going steadily is much quicker than someone reading slowly for the first time
• Singing: a path sung to a tune, with a harmonium or dholak, takes longer than a spoken reading
• What comes before and after: the Hanuman Chalisa, a Ram stuti and the aarti add some time

Plan the day so you do not need to stop in the middle. If you are reading for the first time, keep the whole morning or evening free.

Keep these ready before you sit down:

• A printed Ramcharitmanas, or a separate Sunderkand book (Gita Press publishes both)
• A clean chowki with a red or yellow cloth
• A picture of the Ram Darbar or of Hanuman ji
• A ghee or oil lamp, and a matchbox
• Incense sticks
• Red flowers and a garland
• Sindoor and chameli (jasmine) oil, if your family offers them to Hanuman ji
• Roli, akshat and mauli
• Bhog: gud-chana (jaggery with roasted gram) or boondi laddoo
• A few tulsi leaves to place on the bhog
• A clean asan (mat) to sit on
• Camphor or ghee wicks for the aarti

1. Bathe and wear clean clothes. Many families prefer red, orange or yellow for a Hanuman path.
2. Clean the place of worship. Set up the chowki, facing east or north if you can, and place the Ram Darbar or Hanuman ji's picture on it.
3. Sit on the asan, light the lamp and incense, and offer roli, akshat and flowers.
4. Take a short sankalp. Holding a little water in your right palm, say your name, the day, and that you are reading the Sunderkand as an offering to Shri Ram and Hanuman ji, along with your wish if you have one.
5. Remember Ganesh ji first with a short Ganesh vandana.
6. Begin with the Hanuman Chalisa or a Ram stuti.
7. Read the Sunderkand from start to end at a steady pace. Try not to break in the middle, and keep phones and conversation aside during the path.
8. After the kand, many families recite the Sankat Mochan Hanumanashtak and the Ram stuti Shri Ramchandra Kripalu.
9. Offer the bhog of gud-chana or boondi laddoo with a tulsi leaf.
10. Perform the aarti, commonly Aarti Kije Hanuman Lala Ki, and in many homes a Ram aarti as well.
11. Ask forgiveness for any mistakes in the reading, bow down, and share the prasad with everyone present.

These are customs rather than fixed scripture. Follow what your family follows.

• Read from a proper printed edition, such as a Gita Press Ramcharitmanas, so the text is correct.
• Read clearly and without hurry. Understanding what you read matters more than finishing fast.
• Once you begin, do not stop in the middle. If you must get up, finish the verse you are on first.
• Keep the day satvik. Many families avoid onion, garlic, meat and alcohol on the day of the path.
• Devotees believe Hanuman ji is present wherever Shri Ram's story is recited, so some families keep an empty asan for him near the path.
• Anyone who wishes can join a family path, including children, who can simply follow along with the singing.
• Handle the book with respect. Keep it on a stand or a cloth, not on the floor, and wrap it in a clean cloth after the path.

A group path is common. One person leads with the book and the others repeat or sing along, often with a harmonium and dholak. In many North Indian towns, families invite a Sunderkand mandali (a devotional singing group) home for a sung path on occasions such as griha pravesh. In South India, many families instead read Valmiki's Sundara Kanda in Sanskrit, sometimes spread over several days.

Devotees also visit Hanuman temples closely tied to this devotion, such as the Sankat Mochan temple in Varanasi, which tradition links to Goswami Tulsidas, and Salasar Balaji in Rajasthan.

If work, travel or health keeps you from sitting for a path, you can book a Hanuman Pooja in your name at Sree Vinayak Mandir in Delhi. It includes a Sunderkand path, an offering of sindoor and chameli oil, laddoo and a jasmine garland, and devotees usually book it for a Tuesday or Saturday. The listed duration is about 60 minutes. You receive photos, a video and a completion certificate by email, typically within 24 hours. At the time of writing it costs ₹400.

It does not replace a family path at home; it adds a temple offering in your name. For an archana at Sankat Mochan or Salasar Balaji, the famous temple pages above list what is included (₹1,999 all inclusive at the time of writing; the prasad is offered at the temple and distributed there).