The Hanuman Chalisa is a devotional hymn dedicated to Lord Hanuman. It was written by the 16th-century poet Tulsidas in the Awadhi language, and is his best known text apart from the Ramcharitmanas.

The word "chālīsā" is derived from "chālīs", which means the number forty in Hindi, as the Hanuman Chalisa has 40 verses (excluding the couplets at the beginning and at the end).

Tulsidas was a great devotee of Lord Rama and composed several works including the Hanuman Chalisa to spread devotion among the masses.