Sunderkand Path Vidhi, Benefits and Samagri List

Written by the Vandanam editorial team, with inputs from our panel of verified Vedic pandits. Last updated September 2026.

Sunderkand is the fifth kand of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas — the chapter that follows Hanuman ji across the ocean to Lanka, to his meeting with Sita ji in the Ashok Vatika, and to the burning of the city. It is the only kand in which every undertaking succeeds, and that is precisely why families recite it when something in their own life has stalled. A full path takes about two and a half to three hours.

Why families hold a Sunderkand Path

The reasons people give when they call are remarkably consistent:

• Something is stuck — a court matter, a property dispute, a job change, a visa, a payment that will not come
• Fear or anxiety in the house — Hanuman ji’s worship is the traditional remedy for nazar and for a frightened mind
• A difficult Shani or Mangal period flagged by an astrologer
• Thanksgiving — after a new home, a child, a recovery, an exam result or a business win
• A standing family sankalp — a path every Tuesday, or once each Hanuman Jayanti

Sunderkand is also very commonly read before a wedding and at a housewarming, alongside the main ceremony.

The vidhi, step by step

1. Snan and shuddhi. The family bathes and the space is cleaned. A chowki is placed, covered with a red or yellow cloth.
2. Sthapana. A photo or idol of Hanuman ji is placed on the chowki, often with Ram Darbar beside it. A ghee or til-oil diya is lit and kept burning through the path.
3. Sankalp. The pandit takes the sankalp in the name of the family — gotra, names, the place, the date, and the purpose of the path.
4. Gauri Ganesh puja. Ganesh ji is worshipped first, as in every Hindu ceremony, so the reading meets no obstacle.
5. Hanuman puja. Sindoor mixed in chameli oil is offered, along with a chola where the family wishes it, plus flowers, betel leaf and a garland.
6. The path. The complete Sunderkand is read or sung from beginning to end without a break. In a sangeetmay path the chaupais are sung to dholak, harmonium and manjira, and the guests join in.
7. Hanuman Chalisa and Bajrang Baan follow the kand.
8. Aarti and prasad. The aarti is performed and prasad distributed — usually boondi laddoo, churma or gud-chana.

Samagri list

• Hanuman ji photo or idol; Ram Darbar photo
• Chowki and a red or yellow cloth
• Sindoor and chameli oil; a chola if one is being offered
• Ghee or til oil, cotton wicks, diya, dhoop and agarbatti
• Roli, akshat (whole rice), kalava, supari, betel leaves
• Flowers and a garland — marigold and red flowers are usual
• Coconut, banana and seasonal fruit
• Panchamrit — milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar
• Kalash with water, mango leaves and a coconut
• Prasad: boondi laddoo, churma or gud-chana
• Ramcharitmanas or a Sunderkand gutka for the reader

If you book a pandit through a service, the samagri is normally brought for you — worth confirming before the day.

Best days and timing

Tuesday and Saturday are Hanuman ji’s days. Most families choose a Tuesday morning or a Saturday evening. Hanuman Jayanti, Ram Navami and the Tuesdays of Shravan are the most sought-after dates of the year, so a mandali needs booking well ahead for those.

There is no bar on any other day. A path held in a genuine difficulty is considered appropriate whenever it is needed.

Mandali or a single pandit?

Both are valid, and the choice is about the gathering rather than the ritual.

• A single pandit ji recites the whole path himself. This suits a quiet family sankalp of ten or fifteen people, a regular Tuesday path, or a flat where space is limited.
• A mandali — usually three acharyas with dholak, harmonium and manjira — sings the chaupais instead of reciting them, and the guests sing along. This is what most families want for a housewarming, a pre-wedding path or a society hall gathering, and it is what people mean when they ask for a sangeetmay Sunderkand.

Common questions

How long does Sunderkand Path take?

About 2.5 to 3 hours for a full recitation. A sangeetmay path with singing runs a little longer, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours.

Can women read Sunderkand?

Yes. There is no restriction on women reciting Sunderkand or participating fully in the path.

Can it be read at home without a pandit?

Yes. Many families read it themselves, particularly as a weekly sankalp. A pandit is usually called when the path is being held as a formal ceremony with guests, or when it accompanies another puja.

Does the path have to be completed in one sitting?

Traditionally yes — Sunderkand is read from start to finish without a break, which is part of its character.

What should be done with the prasad?

It is distributed to everyone present and shared with neighbours. Nothing is kept back.

Is Sunderkand the same as Sundarkand?

Yes — the same chapter, just two common spellings of the name.

Booking a Sunderkand Path

If you would like a pandit ji or a full mandali for a Sunderkand Path at home, message Vandanam on WhatsApp at +91 87964 76233. See our Sunderkand Path page, our Sunderkand Path mandali in Delhi NCR, and all puja guides.