Husain had been looking for a learned person with whom he could sit and study the philosophy of Indian culture. He found such a  companion in Mankeshwar with whom he would have lengthy discussions for hours. Eventually Mankeshwar renounced everything and went off in the direction of the Himalayas. Husain carried on with his studies and made a whole series of paintings on Ramayana and other Puranic series.

The Ramlila Committee of Delhi had requested Husain to design the cover of a diary. Husain happily obliged. That year a hundred thousand copies of the diary were printed. Seeing the Ramlila unfold infront of him in its full magnificence Husain’s mind was flooded with the re-kindled memories of his childhood, especially when he saw Hanuman coming on stage bearing the mountain with Sanjeevani booti.

This particular work is from the same period in the 1980s when Husain had immersed himself into the deep philosophies of the Hindu religious scriptures. Here he portrays Hanuman – the devotee, proving his complete loyalty to his lord Shri Ram.