There’s a kind of Hanuman Chalisa that no app will ever replace.
The laminated copy on the wall of the puja room. The folded sheet was tucked into a prayer book from 15 years ago. The A4 printout someone gave you when you first moved to a new city. These copies have edges worn from handling, creases from folding and unfolding, maybe a small saffron smudge in one corner.
A printed Hanuman Chalisa doesn’t need WiFi. Doesn’t display notifications. Doesn’t lock the screen at the wrong moment. And it’s the only format where you can leave it open on your prayer space permanently — not put it away after each session, but simply leave it there, always ready.
Which Format Should You Print?
The right format depends on who will use it and how.
Standard A4 (two pages, portrait): The complete Chalisa with both Dohas, all 40 Chaupais, and the closing. The font is comfortable for most adult readers. Works for home use, gifting, and general distribution.
Single-page format (one A4 sheet, landscape or compressed): The entire Chalisa on one sheet in a smaller but readable font. Best for laminating as a permanent reference copy, keeping inside books, or distributing at gatherings where carrying multiple sheets isn’t practical. This is the format most families laminate for the puja room.
Large print format (font 16-18+, generous spacing): Essential for elderly family members with declining vision. Also helpful for people who are still learning the script — having the letters larger makes it easier to follow word by word without losing your place. This is the format to send to grandparents.
Wallet card: Credit-card-sized, with just the Dohas and the most universally memorized Chaupais. Practical for people who want something to carry on them without a full printout. Many devotees keep one inside their wallet or phone case.
Download by Language
We have printable PDFs available in 10 languages. Each maintains authentic text, clear fonts, and layout optimized for printing:
- Hindi (हिंदी) — Devanagari script
- English — Roman transliteration with meaning
- Gujarati (ગુજરાતી)
- Bengali (বাংলা)
- Telugu (తెలుగు)
- Tamil (தமிழ்)
- Kannada (ಕನ್ನಡ)
- Malayalam (മലയാളം)
- Marathi (मराठी)
- Odia (ଓଡ଼ିଆ)
How to Print It Properly
Paper weight: Standard 75-80 GSM white paper works for everyday use. For a copy you intend to laminate or keep long-term, use 100 GSM or above — the heavier paper takes ink more cleanly and doesn’t curl at the corners when it ages.
Printer settings: Set margins to “normal.” If printing the one-page version, select “Fit to Page” in your print dialog to ensure nothing is cut at the edges. For the Hindi or regional script versions, download the PDF before printing rather than printing from the web browser — the PDF has fonts embedded, which prevents rendering issues.
Color or black and white: Both work for daily use. If you have a color printer and want the Chalisa to be more visually distinct in the puja space, some families print with a saffron or orange header — Hanuman Ji’s colors. Otherwise, clean black-on-white is perfectly appropriate.
How to Preserve a Printed Copy
Lamination: The most durable option. A standard A4 lamination pouch from any stationery shop lasts 10–15 years without degradation. The result is a copy you can wipe clean, keep without a frame, and use daily without any concern about wear. Most photocopy shops in India laminate A4 pages for ₹10–15 and have it done in minutes.
Framing: For the puja room specifically, a simple wooden frame in orange or gold — with the laminated Chalisa inside — becomes a proper part of the prayer space. This is common in South Indian homes where the framed Chalisa hangs near the deity’s image.
Temple and community distribution: For large-scale printing — Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, temple distribution, community satsangs — standard A4 black-and-white printing at a local print shop costs ₹1–3 per sheet. Many families print 50–100 copies for these occasions.
The One Practical Tip Most People Skip
When you laminate the Chalisa, add a small card at the bottom with the page number and language, especially if you’re making copies in multiple scripts. When you’re distributing 50 copies of the Hindi Chalisa and 50 of the Gujarati version at a community event, this saves a lot of confusion.
Also: don’t fold the laminated copy along a verse boundary. Folding along a line break causes the laminate to crack at exactly the point where you need the text to be clear. If you need to fold it, fold it between verses, not through one.
Small things. But worth knowing once, so you don’t have to figure them out after the fact.
