The Ram Navami Festival is one of the most important Indian festivals. Ram Navami festival is a celebration of one of the icons of Hindu mythology, whose life is in itself one of the greatest teachings to mankind. If Lord Vishnu in his avatar as Krishna gave the message of Karma with his Geethoppadesha, in his avatar as Lord Rama gave the message of Dharma with the way he lived.
Ram Navami is a festival that celebrates the advent of Lord Rama on earth, his birth in Ayodhya to the boundless joy of his parents the King of Ayodhya, Dasharatha, and Queen Kaushalya. Ram Navami along with other festivals like Krishna Janmashtami, Diwali, Holi, Onam, etc., is an integral part of Indian culture and ethos.
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Ram Navami Festival – Ram Navami Celebrations | Celebrating the Birth of Lord Rama | Significance of Ram Navami | Ram Temples in India
Rama Navami in India is celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervour across all the regions of the country. The birth of Lord Rama, the 7th avatar of Lord Vishnu is celebrated every year on the ninth day of what is known as Shukla Paksha in the Hindu Calendar month of Chaitra. Many schools and offices are closed and have Ram Navami holiday.
Ram Navami Festival – Navratri Ram Navami | All You Need to Know About Ram Navami | Significance of Ram Navami | Ram Navami Celebrations | Ram Temples in India
Ram Navami is a festival that is celebrated not only in India but it is also an occasion for prayer and rejoicing by the Indian diaspora across the world. Ram Navami is celebrated in countries like Mauritius, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, the Caribbean, and other countries.
Ram Navami Festival – Ram Navami: History, Significance and Importance
The Ram Navami festival is celebrated across India and in many other countries. It is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Ram. According to Hindu mythology Vishnu who is one of the Hindu trinity Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheshwara(Shiva), incarnates on earth whenever there is a rise in evil. Ram is believed to be the seventh incarnation of Vishnu who was born in the Treta Yuga.
Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Shri Ramachandra, annihilates the demon king Ravana and his kingdom of Lanka. His mission on earth was to cleanse the earth of the evil inflicted upon its people by the Rakshasas or demons, led by Ravana who was the king of Lanka.
The Ram Navami festival is essentially a celebration of the arrival of the saviour or messiah who in due course re-establishes Dharma (Righteousness) and ensures that good triumphs over evil. The celebration of Ram Navami logically would have begun with the birth of Shri Rama in Ayodhya in the Treta Yuga. The entire city must have erupted in joy at the birth of the Lord and the cries of Jai Shri Ram would have rent the air.
A small unassuming temple in Jamnagar, Gujarat known as Shri Balahanuman Sankirtan Mandir has entered the Guinness Book of World Records. The chanting of, “Shri Ram, Jay Ram, Jai Jai Ram,”has been going on here from the 1st of August,1964, without interruption.
Ram Navami is celebrated in millions of homes and Shri Ram temples across the country. Ram Dhun, “Shri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram,” envelops the country in its soothing embrace. Special recitations of the verses of the epic Ramayana are done in homes, temples, as well as public gatherings. Traditional and ritualistic worship (Puja) is done to the idols or photos of Ram.
An idol of Lord Ram as a child is placed in a decorated cradle, and the cradle is rocked gently by devotees. Rath Yatra or a chariot procession of the idols of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and Hanuman feature in the celebrations in many temples across the country.
Ram Navami Celebrations In Ayodhya
Ayodhya is believed to have been the birthplace of Rama and hence is a sacred place for Hindus. It is one of the important places of Pilgrimage. Ram Navami Mela or Fair, is a special attraction of the Ram Navami celebrations in Ayodhya. Another interesting feature is the performance of Ram Leela ( enactment of the Ramayana ).
Shri Ram Navami 2020 celebrations in Ayodhya was a landmark as it marked a watershed in the Ayodhya Ram Mandir dispute. It marked the celebration of the first Ram Navami festival after the Ram Janmaboomi dispute settlement driven by the court. It was the first time that the Ram Navami festival was celebrated with the Ram idol in the Ayodhya temple premises having been relocated from a makeshift temple where it was kept since 1992.
Ayodhya Deepotsava is a glittering feature of the Ram Navami celebrations in which thousands of lamps light up Ayodhya. The radiant spectacle is reminiscent of the time when Ayodhya must have been lit up on the birth of Rama and also his triumphant return with Sita and Lakshman from exile.
Ram Navami Recipes
Ram Navami festival is marked by fasting, however, there are many dishes made which are suitable for those observing Ram Navami Upvas. Probably as Ram Navami occurs with the onset of summer, many coolers including lime juice and buttermilk are specially prepared for the Ram Navami celebration.
Here is a list of popular Ram Navami recipes:
- Panakam
- Kosambari
- Spiced Butter Milk
- Kala Chana Sundal
- Belada Hannu Juice (Wood Apple Juice)
- Musk Melon Juice
- Sabudana Kheer
- Sabudana Khichdi
- Puran Poli
Check out our specially curated Ram Navami recipes by clicking here.
Ramayana And Its Various Versions
Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India. The other being the Mahabharata. Ramayana tells the stories from the life and times of Lord Rama. Though it is not clear when the Ramayana came into existence, it is estimated that it dates back to somewhere between the 4th and 7th century BC.
The Ramayana epic consists of about 24,000 verses that are spread across six Kaandas (Parts), namely, Balakaanda, Ayodhyakaanda, Aranyakaanda, Kishkindakaanda, Sundarakaanda, and Lankakaanda.
The composition of the original Ramayana in Sanskrit is attributed to the sage Valmiki. The Valmiki Ramayana is the oldest version of the Ramayana. There have been hundreds of versions of Ramayana in Sanskrit as well as other regional Indian languages.
Some of the more popular versions include Tulsidas’ Ramcharitramanas in the Awadhi language and Kamban’s Ramavtaram in Tamil among others. For those desirous of enjoying Ramayana in English, the best option is to read the Ramayana by C.Rajgopalachari.
The Ramayana has many versions outside India too. The Cambodian version that is popular in Cambodia is known as Reamker, the Thai version popular in Thailand is known as Ramakien. Apart from these Indonesia, Philippines, Burma, and Malaysia have their own versions too.
Some of the contemporary and fictional accounts of the Ramayana include the “Scion of Ikshvaku”, by Amish Tripathi, and “Hanuman’s Ramayana,” by Devdutt Patnaik, and many others.
Important Ram Temples In India
There must be thousands of temples dedicated to Lord Rama along with Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, across the country. Here are some important Ram temples in India.
Ayodhya Ram Temple, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Ayodhya is believed to have been the birthplace of Lord Rama as well as his kingdom. The Ram Mandir is being constructed at Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. and will be a magnificent temple when complete. The design of the temple has been made by the Sompuras of Ahmedabad. The Sompuras are known for their architectural skills and were involved in the design of the Somnath temple also.
Raja Ram Temple, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
The Raja Ram temple in Orchha, Madhya Pradesh, is unique in that here Ram is worshipped not as a deity but as a king living in a palace. All the rituals of the temple are those befitting a King. There is even a Guard of Honour ceremony held every day for Lord Ram.
Bhadrachalam Temple, Telangana
The Sri Sita Ramachandra Swamy temple which is referred to as Bhadrachalam or Bhadradri is situated in the town of Bhadrachalam in Telangana. It is considered to be Dakshina Ayodhya or Ayodhya of the South and is one of the sacred and revered temples to Lord Rama in the south.
Ramaswamy Temple, Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu
A temple dedicated to Lord Rama dating back to the 16th century is located in Kumbakonam in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple has a beautiful architectural design and exquisite carvings including the depiction of incidents from the Ramayana.
Kalaram Temple, Nashik
The Kalaram temple is a historic temple that is located in the Panchvati area of Nashik in Maharashtra. It has a black idol of Lord Rama and hence the name Kalaram which translates as Black Ram. It is believed that the original temple existed on the banks of the Godavari river more than 2000 years ago. However it was destroyed during an invasion, to save the idol, it was thrown into the Godavari river. Hundreds of years later the idol miraculously recovered and the current temple built.
Ram Navami Wishes in English | Ram Navami Wishes in Hindi | Ram Navami Wishes With Images | Happy Ram Navami Festival Wishes | Ram Navami Greetings For Instagram | Ram Navami Greeting For Whatsapp | Ram Navami Greeting For Facebook
Images of Shree Ram | Lord Rama Images | Rama image | Shri Ram Images | God Ram Images | Bhagwan Ram Images | Images of Lord Rama Sita and Hanuman | Ram Photos
We bring to you here some images of Shree Ram, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman.
Ram Navami Festival – FAQ
When is Ram Navami?
Ram Navami according to the Hindu calendar occurs on the ninth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra. This usually is in March-April
Why we celebrate Ram Navami?/Why is Ram Navami celebrated?
Shri Rama Navami is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Ram.
How do you wish Ram Navami?
There are no specific Ram Navami Wishes, however, one could simply greet each other with the words, “Jai Shri Ram”.
What is the history of Ram Navami?
Though there is no specific indication available about when the tradition of Ram Navami celebrations started, it is logical to assume that it must have started with his birth in Ayodhya.
When was Sri Rama born?
The ninth day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra in the Treta Yuga.
What can we eat on Ram Navami?
Ram Navami festival is celebrated with prayers and fasting. One can eat fruits and food generally eaten while fasting like dishes made from Sabudana or also known as Sago.
What should we offer to Lord Rama?
In the Dwapara Yuga, Lord Vishnu in his incarnation as Krishna, says, “If one offers to Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or even water, I delightfully partake of that article offered with love by My devotee in pure consciousness.” This holds good for Shri Ram also, offer what you can, think of images of Shree Ram and pray with complete devotion.
If you are planning to buy books on Lord Rama or photos, posters or paintings then you can buy them online here:
- Lord Rama Books
- Books On Ramayan
- Lord Rama Photo Frames
- Lord Rama Idols
- Lord Rama Poster
- Lord Rama Painting With Frame
We hope you liked our Ram Navami festival blog. Do connect with us on our social media handles and also subscribe to our blog. Best Ram Navami wishes.
Jai Shri Ram.
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Ram Navami is a big festival for us in the summers also marking the end of Chaitra Navratras. I wasn’t aware of the global versions of Ramayana thanks for sharing. Also glad to know about various temples and how the festival is celebrated across.
Wow such a detail information about Ram navami festival here in usa, we miss a lot Indian style festival celebration. your post has reminded me my many beautiful past memories.
Wow nice detailed information on this festival. I only enjoy it when my friends invite me to have some puran Poli and fruits and brinjal curry with the poli.
Wow! Thanks for sharing detailed information on Ram Navami. Rama Navami, one of the biggest and most auspicious Hindu festivals in India. And its really good to know about these temples.
Wow this is such a detailed post – informative and interesting at the same time. I learnt so much.
My goodness there is so much information in this post that I never heard before. So much enjoyed reading this
Ram Navami is celebrated with great pomp in our small town in Jharkhand! We have fairs and celebration all around! Loved reading this post!
You had me at Panaka and kadle uski. I used to thoroughly enjoy and gorge up on the food during Ram Navami. Very beautifully articulated with a lot of information. Love how well you’ve structured it too.
Such a mesmerizing post on Ramnavami. We celebrate it every year in India but the way you have brought it put ot really helps non Indians about the custom se follow. Great take.
You have given very to the point description of Ram Navami. And I need to visit the temples you have mentioned. Hope the things get normal soon.
Love the detailed information about Ram Navami. And thanks for sharing the details of Rama temples. We can visit them with the reference of your post.
Such a beautiful description on Ram Navami. Belonging to a different faith, I had very little idea on it. Will love to visit all the temples you have mentioned.
This was so detailed and informative and I loved to read it and learn about sme fine Ram temples in India. RAMNAVMI is around the corner and you blog is just in time to share some knowledge.
Thanks for sharing this sea of information about an important Hindu festival. I celebrate Ram Navami every year and it was good to learn about the history.
That is such a detailed post on Ram Navmi. Even we celebrate Ram Navmi and observe all the things with full enthusiasm. My childhood had great fun times on the day of Ram Navmi
Wow such an interesting read… thanks for sharing all the details about Ram Navami.. Loved reading this article
Being a Bengali, Durga puja is an integral part of our lives but Chaitra Navratri is celebrated mainly in the North. This was really detailed information.
Festivals are always all about excitement and fun. Loved reading about this festival and the celebration. You must have had a good time with it.