Hanuman (sa:langsa???????, IAST:IASTHanum?n; also Anjaneya, Maruti) is a Hindu deity, who is an ardent devotee of Rama, a central character in the Indian epic (Indian epic poetry) Ramayana. A general among the vanaras, an ape-like race of forest-dwellers, Hanuman is an incarnation of the divine, whose fate it is to aid the hero Rama in the struggle against the demon king Ravana. His exploits are much celebrated in a variety of religious and cultural traditions, particularly in Hinduism, so much so that he is often the subject of worship according to some bhakti traditions.