Ram Navami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Shri Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu and the ideal man in Hindu tradition. Observed on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri, it features grand temple rituals, Ram Katha recitals, bhajans, and processions across India. This blog throws light on the major celebrations that occur in Ayodhya, Bihar, Chitrakoot, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and beyond to understand what makes Ram Navami a festival that binds India together.
Ram Navami is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in India and is dedicated to one of the leading icons of Hindu mythology, namely Lord Shri Rama. The day commemorates the birth anniversary of Shri Rama, who is believed to be the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Shri Rama is worshiped as the ideal man by the followers of Hinduism, especially those belonging to the Vaishnavite sect.
Ram Navami also marks the culmination of the 9-day-long festive celebration of Chaitra Navratra. On this day, people perform special poojas to celebrate the birth of Shri Ram and even hold yagnas or make arrangements for Ram Katha recitals along with the singing of devotional songs. All these activities are a way of reflecting the joy and dedication of the devotees of Lord Rama on his birth anniversary.
☸ According to legend, King Dashratha of Ayodhya did not have any children despite having three wives. So he went to Rishi Vashisht to seek a boon for having a son.
☸ The Rishi advised the king to perform a yagna to please the Gods and seek their blessings for the fulfillment of his wish.
☸ The king followed Rishi’s advice and performed the yagna along with his three wives.
☸ At the end of the yagna, the God of fire appeared and gave the kings a bowl of pudding.
☸ The king gave the bowl of pudding to his eldest wife Kaushalya, who distributed the pudding into three equal parts giving one each to Sumitra and Kaykai, the other two wives of King Dashratha.
☸ Then both Kaushalya and Kaykai gave one-half of their share of the pudding to Sumitra.
☸ Soon, all three queens became pregnant and in due time Kaushlaya gave birth to Shri Ram, followed by Sumitra giving birth to Lakshman.
☸ Thereafter, Kaykai gave birth to Bharat and Sumitra gave birth to Shatrughan.
Thus, King Dashratha’s palace was filled with great happiness and joy with the arrival of four young princes, with Shri Ram being the eldest of them all.
The festival of Ram Navami is celebrated on the 9th day of the bright fortnight of the Hindu lunar month of Chaitra. According to the Gregorian calendar, the festival falls sometime in March or April. It is believed that Shri Ram was born on this day around 9000 years ago in Ayodhya at noon, when the five planets and the sun, etc. along with the lunar asterism Pushya, were in the first house of cancer.
The celebrations commence on the first day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra when people start reading the Holy Ramayana intending to complete it by Ram Navami. During this time many people also observe a fast pledging to eat only a single meal or only fruits throughout the day.
The festival is celebrated with great zeal and fervor in different parts of India with people following different rituals and traditions as per their beliefs. Almost every temple is decorated with flowers, lighting, and other such items. Lord Rama idols are decorated with special embellishments and people offer flowers, sweets, and even money to them in large amounts.
Spiritual discourses and bhajan nights are organized in large numbers in almost every street and neighborhood. On the day of Ram Navami, people offer special puja to Shri Ram in their homes and temples. In many communities, people bathe and dress up a miniature idol of Lord Rama and place it in a cradle. They also light a lamp in front of the idol and offer kheer to the idol before doing the aarti.
Some devotees also take out chariot processions or Shobha yatras featuring the Ram Darbar and the jhankis depicting the various phases of the life of Shri Rama. In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, people consider it auspicious to take a dip in the waters of River Saryu before visiting the Ram temple. The most interesting thing to note is that this festival is celebrated not only in India but also in countries with large Hindu populations. These primarily include the USA and UK, Fiji, Nepal, Trinidad, and Durban.
In Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, people consider it auspicious to take a dip in the waters of River Saryu before visiting the Ram temple. The celebrations of Ram Janmotsava- the “birth festival” of Sri Rama begin with Rath Yatra of Ram Lalla, during which the Lord meets his subjects, along with Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman and the city comes alive with the chants of his name.
Goddess Sita’s birthplace is situated in Bihar, in Sitamarhi, where the birth of Sri Rama is an occasion of grand celebrations. Temples of Sita-Rama are filled with devotees, who immerse themselves in Kirtan, Ramacharitamansa recitals, special Puja, and distribution of Prasad. Patna, the capital city of Bihar also hosts several processions or Jhankis, in which devotees dance along with statues of Sri Rama and Sita, welcoming their god amidst them.
The ghats of Chitrakoot are well-known in the legends of Sri Rama, as a place where the Lord came to meet his devotee Tulisdas. Ramghat, located along the river Mandakini is a sacred spot for pilgrims, who take a dip and perform the ritual of Deep Daana- donation of lamp, along with recitals of Ramacharitamanas.
Nasik and Mumbai in Maharashtra are historical centers of Vaishnava devotees, many of whom worship Narayana in his avatar- Rama. Temples such as the famous Kala Ram Mandir of Nasik, become home for devotees who visit their lord, singing prayers and chanting his name. Abhisheka of Sri Rama, special aarti, bhajan sandhya (evenings spent singing devotional songs), and spiritual discourse on Ramayana are the highlights of Rama Navami celebrations in Maharashtra.
Ram Navami in Karnataka is celebrated with community festivities, musical processions, and Shastratha (discourses) on the life and persona of Sri Rama. Sri Rama Seva Mandalis takes charge of arranging festivals, especially around famous Rama temples. Historical sites such as the temples of Sri Rama and Vishnu in Hampi and Udupi, associated for centuries with the artistic celebrations of Sri Rama’s life, are populated by devotees and travelers who want to witness the ancient cities during this special time.
Tamil Nadu has a tender place in its culture for Sri Rama, who is revered as a child as well as the supreme deity in the many temples located all over the states. Temples of Sri Rama such as the Kodandarama Temple (Rameshwaram) are adorned with flowers and lamps, and a nine-day festival known as Sri Rama Navami Utsavam is celebrated in the temples of Lord Vishnu, with classical music, chants of Rama’s name and stories from his life, filling the atmosphere with a devotional bliss.
✔️Harikatha- the story of Sri Rama along with melodious musical performances, narrations of Sundara Kanda (dedicated to Lord Hanuman), and processions are the center of the Ram Navami celebration in Andhra and Telangana. The sacred Bhadrachalam Temple celebrates this day with a special Sitaram Kalyanam (marriage ceremony of Rama and Sita), which is attended by thousands of devotees who visit the temple-town for a glimpse of their beautiful Rama and Sita and the Lila of their Kalyanam, being recreated.
West Bengal celebrates Ram Navami as a part of the Chaitra Navaratri festivities- worshipping Durga and Sri Rama, along with the joy of seasonal changes and the beginning of a new phase. Ram Pujas, processions, and Ramayana-patha are the main attractions of Navami festivities. Folk songs and performances of Sri Rama’s stories in folk theatre are also a part of traditional Rama Navami celebrations in West Bengal.
The Jagannath Temple in Puri is the center for Rama Navami celebrations in Odisha, where devotees worship the lord, and participate in chanting the Nama Ramayana (story of Ramayan simplified in 108 Sanskrit lines for everyday recital), Abhishekam rituals, Daana (donations), and community feasting.
Outside the sacred city of Puri, cultural festivals attract local and international visitors to Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack, where dance, drama, and traditional musical performances celebrate Rama, along with the centuries-old heritage of Odisha. An 800-year-old, endangered folk theatre performance- Sahi Jata also takes place during the months of Chaitra, where the episodes of the Sri Rama’s story are presented by artists, wearing heavy ornamentation called “Medha”.
Discourses, processions, and celebrations around the major temples of Dwarka and Somnath are the high points of Ram Navami in this western state. Community feasts and fasts are also important parts of the festivities, with people visiting their local and popular temples of Sri Rama, to seek his blessings.
✔️Vanavasi Rama- Sri Rama as a resident of the forest is how many tribal communities celebrate the Hindu god during the Ram Navami festival. Folk performances, prayers, and feasts mark this special day in the regions of Jharkhand and Chattisgarh. The Rajrappa Temple of Jharkhand and Ram Temple of Raipur become the focus of celebrations, with massive processions and kirtans joined by thousands of devotees, who visit the temple towns on this day.
The ancient temples of Sri Ram such as Kullu’s Raghunath Temple and Raghunath Temple of Devaprayag (Uttarakhand) host grand Ram Navami celebrations, with devotees performing Parikrama, recital of Ramayana, sacrificial rituals or Yajnas and community feasts. As the tutelary god- Ishta Devata of the royal dynasties of the Himalayan state, Sri Ram holds a special place in the heart of the people, who worship them as their king and god, rejoicing on the occasion of his birth.
Shri Ram is revered by many as the ideal human being because he exhibited the following traits that made him perfect in every respect. He was gentle and free from malice and he was the protector of his people who held sway over the entire world. His sole purpose in taking birth in this world was to prevent the progress of evil in the form of Ravana.
✔️He Was An Ideal Person: Shri Ram was an ideal son, brother, husband, and friend, who showered love and respect on everyone around him. He always obeyed his parents and elders and heeded their advice and guidance. Shri Ram’s relationship with his brothers is considered to be an inspiration for siblings across ages. He was an equally dedicated and loving husband and promised his wife Sita that he would not marry again, irrespective of the fact that it was common for Kings to take on multiple wives in those times.
✔️He Was A Stringent Follower of Dharma: Shri Ram followed the path of righteousness even at the cost of personal pain and loss. He always kept his promises and never uttered a lie. He believed in the equality of human beings and never spoke ill of anyone.
He was both brave and humble and observed all the decorum prescribed by dharma even during the most difficult phase of his life. He offered honest advice and guidance to his friends, like Lord Hanuman, Sugriv, and Vibhishan, and even treated his enemies, including Ravana, with respect. It is because of these traits that he came to be known as Maryadapurshottam Shri Ram.
✔️He Established An Ideal Kingdom: When Shri Ram finally became the King of Ayodhya, the kingdom prospered under his rule by leaps and bounds. The people he ruled became more prudent and earned an honest living. There were no fights, no thefts, no beggars, and no criminals in his kingdom.
The people followed their King’s footsteps and adhered to a dharmic lifestyle which ensured an era of peace and prosperity in the region. While celebrating Ram Navami people remember these traits of Shri Ram and seek his blessings to emulate them in their lives. It provides people an opportunity to saturate themselves with the spirit of Shri Rama so that they can grow in their virtues.
Ram Navami is a Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Since it falls on the Navam or ninth day of Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the Hindu month of Chaitra, it is called Ram Navami.
Ram Navami is observed on the ninth day (Navami) of the Shukla Paksha (waxing phase of the moon) in the Hindu month of Chaitra, which typically falls in March or April.
The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, who is revered as the symbol of righteousness and virtue- Purushottama. His life and teachings, as depicted in the epic Ramayana, serve as a moral guide for devotees.
Devotees observe the day by fasting, offering prayers, reading the Ramayana, and singing devotional songs. Temples organize special ceremonies and processions, and some devotees also perform the ritual of Kanya Puja, honoring young girls as representations of divine energy.
Fasting on Ram Navami is a common practice among devotees, symbolizing the purification of the mind and body. It reflects devotion and self-discipline, allowing individuals to focus on spiritual practices and the virtues exemplified by Lord Rama.
Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, the birthplace of Lord Rama, is renowned for its grand festivities. Other notable celebrations occur in places like Sitamarhi in Bihar, Bhadrachalam in Telangana, and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, each with unique regional traditions.
According to Hindu mythology, King Dasharatha of Ayodhya performed a sacred ritual to be blessed with children. As a result, his eldest queen, Kaushalya, gave birth to Lord Rama.
Rituals include the recitation of the Ramayana, chanting of Vedic mantras, performing aarti (devotional songs), and offering fruits and sweets to deities. In some regions, devotees also reenact episodes from Lord Rama's life through plays and dances.
Yes, Ram Navami is celebrated by Hindu communities worldwide, including countries like Nepal, Fiji, Trinidad and Tobago, Mauritius, and Malaysia, where devotees observe similar rituals and festivities.
To celebrate at home, devotees can clean their living spaces, set up an altar with images or idols of Lord Rama, perform puja (worship) by offering flowers and fruits, recite passages from the Ramayana, sing bhajans (devotional songs), and observe a fast according to personal or family traditions.
Ram Navami is a unique festival in many ways, yet it is woven into the very culture and tradition of India. Irrespective of how people choose to celebrate the festival, the focus should be on developing such virtues that unite them with the Lord. Different states of India have their own traditions around the festivity of Ram Navami, with rituals, recitals of Ramayana, and temples of Ram being at the center of it all. From the massive temples of Sri Ram in Ayodhya and Kumbakonam to the humble shrines of Ram Lala all over the country, Ram Nama and chant of “Jai Sri Rama” is what unifies the people.
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