New Delhi, Nov 5 (IANS) Lal Baba was one of the priests who performed here in June elaborate prayers of a Hanuman idol, later sent to Barack Obama for good luck in the elections. On Wednesday, as Obama became the first African American president of the US, Baba was one of the many who hailed his historic win.”It’s his good luck. The gods have blessed him,” a smiling Baba told IANS at the famed Hanuman temple on Baba Kharak Singh Marg in the heart of the capital.

After photographs of Obama’s good luck charm of a “tiny monkey god”, apparently representing Hanuman, were splashed across the media, Hanuman devotees were so impressed that they decided to present him a 15-kg, gold-plated Hanuman idol. It was presented to Carolyn Sauvage-Mar, chairwoman of the group, Democrats Abroad-India.

Brij Mohan Bhama, the leader of the group, had then said: “Obama’s victory will be good for India. He seems to be a devotee of Hanuman.”

That prayer function was performed on a Tuesday at the Sankat Mochan Dham Hanuman temple in Old Delhi amid much fanfare.

On Wednesday, Suresh Sharma, a priest, said he hoped that India would benefit from Obama’s win.

“Obama stands for change, and I hope the country benefits from his victory. I am glad he won,” Sharma said.