The controversial picture of Lord Hanuman has made a comeback on the tail of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) HLFT-42 prototype aircraft at the Aero India show 2023, held in Bengaluru, Karnataka. The image was previously removed following controversy but was reinstated on February 14th, where it was displayed on the vertical fin of the lead fighter trainer model. The HLFT-42 prototype trainer aircraft is said to be the successor of HAL Marut, which is referred to as Pawan, meaning wind in Hindi. Lord Hanuman, being the son of Pawan, holds great significance in Hindu mythology, and the picture of the deity was displayed on the aircraft for this reason. HAL Chairman and Managing Director, C.B. Ananthakrishnan, explained that the intention behind putting the Hanuman sticker on the aircraft was to demonstrate its power.
