Hanuman (Skt. हनुमान् "having a (broken) jaw") is a monkey-like deity revered in Hinduism, the son of the wind god Vayu and the apsara Punjistala. One of the main characters of the Ramayana, the leader of one of the Vanara troops, also a friend of Rama and Sita. In Shaivism, it is considered one of the avatars of Shiva.