NEW YORK: It's unusual. But, it's a fact. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic party's presidential nominee, is seeking the blessings of Hanuman in his battle for the White House.Obama seeks Hanuman's blessing for White House race The Economic Times June 10, 2008.
The 46-year-old senator from Illinois, who defeated his rival Hillary Clinton in an epic 17-month long electoral battle for Democratic party nomination, carries a "tiny monkey god" apparently representing "Hanuman" with him for good luck.
A recent photo posted on Time's White House Photo of the Day collection shows the first ever Black-American nominee of a major US party for the Presidential elections carries with him a bracelet belonging to an American soldier deployed in Iraq, a gambler's lucky chit, a tiny monkey god and tiny Madonna and child.
That "tiny monkey god," of course, appears to be a statue of the Hindu monkey god, Hanuman, says the posting but editors and the photographer has not identified it as such.
The priests of Sankat Mochan temple offered prayers to Lord Hanuman, to seek blessings for Obama for the upcoming presidential elections.Temple priests offer prayers for Obama's victory Sify News June 10, 2008.During the prayers Caroline Saurce, the Indian representative of Obama, was present at the temple.
The priests gave her a gold idol of the deity to be presented to Obama after consecrating it at the end of 11 days prayers.
“After performing prayers according to Hindu rituals the idol would be consecrated and then it would be handed over to Saurce, Obama's India representative who would carry it to America," said Brij Mohan Bhama, a Hanuman devotee.
