Rama Navami is Hindu (Indian) festival, celebrating the born of Lord Sri Rama. According to the legend, Sri Rama was born at after noon. Sri Rama is the epitome of perfection, the uttama purusha, to meet all his responsibilities towards both family and topics. Rama was the first son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Continue below…
The birth of Sri Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu, is observed every year on the navami (the ninth day) of the bright half of the month of Panguni. Ramanavami celebration gives us all an opportunity to invoke the divine grace of Sri Rama and imbibe the ideals and values of the "Maryada Puroshothama" into our own lives. Fasting, prayer, and chanting of the 100 names of Sri Rama helps devotees to cross to the shore of ultimate reality, hence the name of Rama is described as a taraka, or boat. The prayers on this day help to revive our latent powers to deal with the negative forces in the life, the disappointments and frustrations. To many devotees, the name of Rama is an unfailing panacea to cure all ills. The name of Rama is also compared to a wish-fulfilling tree (Kalpa Vriksha). Hence the name must be always repeated or recited. Tulsidas has said that uttering the name of Rama is like placing a jewelled lamp on the tip of the tongue. It gives light both within and without.
The Legend
The great epic Ramayana has taken the story of Rama to many countries. It embodies in the character of Rama the highest ideals of human life. In the epic, poet Valmiki asks sage Narada if he had ever met a "sthitha pragyna", or an awakened soul of perfect harmony. Narada describes Rama as such a being. Rama is generally depicted as a warrior king. He carries a bow, and has a quiver full of arrows for defending the righteous and upholding the dharma.
The birth of Rama is described by Valmiki thus: "Then after the expiry of six seasons and on the completion of the twelfth month, on the ninth lunar day of the month of Chaitra, under the star Punarvasu with the Sun, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus at Aries, Libra, Capricorn, Cancer and Pisces and when the Moon with Jupiter entered the Zodiac sign of Cancer, Kaushalya gave birth to the great and auspicious Rama with mighty arms, rosy cheeks, and scarlet lips, the joy of Dasaratha and the adored one of all people. On his fair body were all the auspicious signs of a divine being."
The Festival
It is a day of fasting and meditation. There are readings from the Ramayana, devotional songs to Rama are sung. Lectures on Rama's life and teachings of the Ramayana help spiritual and moral evolution of people. Offerings are made of panakam, buttermilk, kosumbari, vada and payasam, which are distributed as prasad.
In temples, there is special puja to Rama and recitation of the Ramayana. The deity is taken in a procession to enable all to receive blessings. In the "akhanda deepa" puja, the deity is brilliantly lit with garlands of oil-lamps which burn throughout the day and night. Devotees invoke the deity seeking strength to face a calamity or deal with a crisis.
Ramanavami comes at the and of the Vasanta Navaratri the spring festival of nine nights. A fast is observed on all nine days or on the first and last day.
