Rama Navami - The Biggest Hindu Festival In The Spring Season

Noted as one of the biggest Hindu festival, Rama Navami comes in the spring season. This celebrates the birthday of lord Ram. As the seventh avatar of Vishnu, Lord Ram is very important to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The festival is celebrated as god Vishnu takes birth as God Rama, by taking birth in Ayodhya to King Dasaratha and Queen Kausalya.

As a part of the spring Navaratri, this day falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) as per the Hindu calendar and that falls in the month of Chaitra. As per the Gregorian months, it typically occurs in the month of March and April. Rama Navami is an optional government holiday in south India.

Different people have different ways to celebrate this day. While some people belonging from Vaishnava group visit temple, others do rituals like praying at their homes, and others even participate in bhajans and kirtans sessions as a part of devotion along with Puja and Aarti. Others prefer to perform the puja by having a miniature statue of Lord Rama, wash it and placing a new cloth on the lord place it on a cradle. Countless community meals and charitable events are also organized in this day.

Generally, the day begins by reciting the Rama Katha recitals or reading of Rama stories. As per Indian mythology and tradition, Ramayana and Mahabharat are considered as Itihasa . This occasion showcases the moral reflection for many Hindus and many people celebrate this day by fasting (vrata).

In India, there are various places that hold special pujas and celebrations. Some of the most renowned places are - Ayodhya, Sita Samahit Sthal  in Uttar Pradesh, Sitamarhi in Bihar  Janakpurdham -Nepal, Uttarakhand (haridwara), Rajasthan , odisha (puri), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta (Andhra Pradesh) and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu). In several places, Shobha yatras of Rama, Sita, his brother Lakshmana and Hanuman are taken out, these chariot processions are called as Rathayatras. In the religious city of Ayodhya thousands of peoples take dip in the sacred river Sarayu and then visit the famous temple of Lord Ram

The last day is the ninth day of Chaitra Navaratri which is often confused with autumn Navaratri. This day is to celebrate the arrival of God Vishnu as the seventh version in the form of Lord Rama.

By: Preeti Narula