Ram Navami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama on the month of March or April. According to Hindu calendar, the ceremony takes place on the ninth day or navami of the month of Chaitra. This ceremony is celebrated at the beginning of summer. This particular festival reflects the religious spirit of Indians through its celebration.
As per Hindu religion, Lord Rama's dynasty is known as Sun dynasty. So the Hindus consider the Sun as the ancestor of Lord Rama. The ritual for this occasion starts by offering prayer to the Sun in the early hour of the morning. All the devotees maintain fast all throughout the day and they break it at midnight with fruits and sweets. On this auspicious day, temples are aesthetically decorated. Performing a special 'havan' along with the chanting of Vedic hymns is part of the rituals of Ram Navami. Readings from the sacred book of 'Ramayana' is an indispensable part of this religious festival. The ritual ends with the offering of fruits and flowers to God.
According to religious sources, Lord Rama who was born at noon is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu. Therefore, devotees of Lord Rama in Northern India arrange a special prayer at noon. As part of this ritual, they organize a procession for which they decorate a chariot. In this chariot four persons represent the mythological characters of Rama, his wife Sita, his brother Laxmana and his disciple Hanuman decked up in ancient attire. Several other persons dressed up in ancient costumes also accompany this chariot. In Bhadrachalam of Andhra Pradesh, people observe this occasion as the wedding anniversary of Lord Rama and his wife Sita. People name this wedding ceremony as 'Kalyanam'.
The main attraction of this religious ceremony is Rama Leela, a play that highlights major events in Rama's life. Public gathering takes place in places like Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh where Rama was born.
Birth of Lord Ram
According to 'Ramayana', all the deities of the Heaven approached to Lord Brahma with a request. They stated that they were going through lots of difficulties for a demon namely Ravana. This demon who was the King of Lanka, received a blessing from Lord Brahma that no God, gandharva, demon or demigod will be able to terminate his life ever.
Ram Navami Celebration
The religious ceremony of Ram Navami intends to mark the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. According to Hindu calendar, the event falls on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra. As per English calendar
Significance of Ram Navami
Celebration of Ram Navami on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra signifies the arrival of divine power on the earth. It is the day when Lord Vishnu was born as the elder son of Dasaratha, the King of Ayodhya. On this day, the devotees of Lord Rama perform some elaborate rituals for the purification of their souls. The purpose of the birth of Rama was to destroy the evil spirit of Ravana.