RAM NAVAMI

Ram Navami is a famous Hindu festival. This festival is celebrated in order to honour the birth of Marayada Purshottam Ram, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This day also known as Sri Rama Navami marks the end of nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations. The festival of Ram Navami is held in high regard not only by the people in India but also by the Hindu community residing in the other parts of the world. The festival is celebrated with extreme joy and excitement. Many devotees also fast on this occasion. It is considered that all the devotees who fast on this day are showered with endless happiness and good luck by Lord Rama. Read on, if you want to explore the history of Ram Navami.

Ram Navami History

Ram Navami is one of the oldest festivals celebrated in India. It is said that the date of Ram Navami can be seen back to the pre-Christian era, as Hinduism is the oldest religion of the world. The reference of Ram Navami can also be found in the Kalika puran. It is said in the prior times when caste system was common in India; Ram Navami was one of the few festivals that the lower castes were granted to celebrate. In Hindu religion, it is considered to one of the five major holy festivals and it is said that properly observing this fast leads to the attainment of salvation.

Every year, the month of March-April observes a flurry of activities in the temples and religious spots around India full with millions of Hindus with faith in their hearts and dedication in their minds. It is not something unusual for the knower who is fully known that the Hindu month of Chaitra are near and Ram Navami, one of the holy Hindu occasions, is to be celebrated in ‘Shukla paksha’ or the waxing moon phase on the ninth day of the same.

The devoted Hindus believe that on a similar day in the year 5114 BC, the prayers of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya (an ancient city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India) was answered. This king had three wives named Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. But none of the three bore him a male child which the king needed to take care of his empire and as a successor to his throne. Even after several years of his marriage, the King was not able to be a father.

Then the great sage Vasistha advised him to perform Puthra Kamesti Yagna, the holy ritual carried out to obtain an offspring. With King Dasharatha’s consent, the great sage Maharshi Rushya Shrunga performed the ritual in the most detailed manner possible. The king was handed over a bowl of payasam (a preparation of milk and rice) and asked to distribute the food between his wives. The king gave one-half of the payasam to his elder wife Kausalya, and another half to his younger wife Kaikeyi. Both wives give half of their portions to Sumithra. This unequal distribution of the holy food leads to both Kausalya and Kaikeyi giving birth to one son each while twin sons are born to Sumithra.

The day was one of the ultimate celebrations in Ayodhya where not only the royal family but every resident of the place heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the God for this miracle, little knowing that god himself was present among them in the form of Rama, the newborn son of Kausalya. The great Hindu epic Ramayana (written by the ancient sage and Sanskrit poet Valmiki) as also a host of other ancient epics mention Rama as the seventh incarnation of the supreme god Lord Vishnu, who was born on earth to restore mankind to its previous glory, annihilate the evil and protect the innocent.

In his adulthood, Rama’s execution of Ravana, the terrible demon-king of Lanka, and his army, as well as many other astonishing deeds, proved his divine status before the people. When Rama became a king, the people of Ayodhya supposedly began to observe his birthday out of extreme faith to their godly ruler. It is highly difficult to point out the exact time when Ram Navami celebrations were started.

Significance of Ram Navamai

Significantly the ancient Egyptians termed the sun as Amon Ra or which is simply known as “Ra”. In Latin, the syllable Ra is used or known as to connote light. For example, we have radiance which emits light or radium which means any substance that emits light or brilliance. The common element is the syllable Ra that in many languages are used to derive from words for describing Sun or light.

The occurrence of this syllable in most names used for Lord Rama along with other clues is strongly suggestive for the festival of Ramnavami antedates the R- Ayana and which have been originated much before the Ramayana Known as a ‘Sun-festival’ for invoking the Sun and was recognized as the source of light and heat even in ancient times.

The importance of the Sun was much more in the higher latitudes from the place through which the Aryans have migrated into India. Many royal dynasties portrayed the symbol of virility like the Sun, Eagle, Lion etc. As their progenitor Lord Rama’s dynasty considered them to have descended from the Sun. This could have led to the tagging on Lord Rama’s birthday to a festival devoted to the sun. The Ramayana is the divine story of the time when Lord Vishnu manifested on Earth in the form of Lord Rama.Teachings of Ramayan

The Ramayana gives us the message on life and teachings of Lord Ramchandra. The word “Rama” literally means one who is divinely blissful and who gives joy to others and one in whom the sages rejoice.

It is said that the repetition of his name (Rama Nama) is the surest, fastest and easiest way to attain purity, peace, wisdom, understanding, joy, prosperity and ultimately liberation. Lord Rama Himself said that “Repetition of My name is equal to the repeating of one thousand names of God and Goddess or repeating of mantras one thousand times.” Lord Rama was the perfect person he embodied the divine on Earth and taught us how to live our lives in accordingly to dharma and divine principles.

Lord Rama was the man of compassion, gentleness, kindness, rightness and integrity. Although he had all the power in the world he still was peaceful and gentle. Through careful examination of his life, we learn how to be a perfect son, a perfect brother, a perfect husband and most important the perfect king. His reign in Ayodhya is referred to as Ramarajya, the epitome of perfect governance.

Ravana was a brahmin; he was a great scholar who wrote numerous works on scriptural philosophy. He was powerful, dynamic, and beautiful in appearance. As the brilliant, handsome king of Lanka, he had everything one would need to be happy and peaceful. Yet, he was arrogant, egoistic, greedy and lustful. His insatiable desires led him to crave more and more power, more and more money, and more and more ladies to fulfill his every whim.

There is one main difference: Bhagwan Rama’s heart overflowed with divinity, love, generosity, humility, and a sense of duty. Ravana’s heart, in contrast, was filled with avarice, hatred, and egoism. Under Bhagwan Rama’s divine touch, the animals became his devotees and his divine helpers. Under Ravana’s touch, even humans became animals.

Through his noble and divine choices, he teaches the world to choose dharma over Artha (when he leaves for the forest rather than be coronated as King) and to choose Moksha over Kama (when he chooses his kingdom over his marriage).

Bhagwan Rama teaches that :As a sonRespectfully and lovingly obey your father’s orders. Sacrifice your own comfort for your father’s dignity.As a step-sonEven when your step mother (or mother-in-law) is not kind to you, even when she clearly dis- criminates against you in favor of her own birth child, do not resent her, do not fight against her. Respect her and her wishes.As a brotherRemain loyal to your brother. Care for him.As a husbandProtect your wife. Fight for her protection and her purity. But there are times when one’s divine path must even take precedence over the path of householder. Do not keep the role of householder as the ultimate role.As a KingSacrifice everything for your people. Do not worry about your own comfort, your own convenience or your own pleasure. Be willing to put the kingdom ahead of your own needs.

Ravana’s ego led to his own demise, first the demise of his spirit and heart and then the demise of his body. He thought he was the one who ran everything. He thought that he was the “doer” of it all. On the other hand, Bhagwan Rama was always humble, and he never took credit for anything. At the end of the war in Lanka, Bhagwan Rama was giving Sitaji a tour of the city, showing her where all of the various events had occurred. When, they reached the place where he victoriously slew Ravana, he reported it to Sitaji only as, “and this is where Ravana died.” He didn’t say, “This is where I crushed the demon,” or “This is where I killed Ravana.”

Ram Navami is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the son of King Dasharath. It was a joyous occasion in Ayodhya all those centuries ago when King Dasharath’s heir was finally born. It was like a dream come true for the king as the lack of an heir had troubled him sorely for many years.

Lord Rama is an Avatar of Lord Vishnu who came down to earth to battle the invincible Ravana in human form. Lord Brahma had been receiving complaints from all the gods about the havoc that Ravana was wreaking on earth, but because Lord Brahma had granted Ravana so many boons, he could not be killed by a god. But Ravana had become so overconfident that he would never expect an attack from a human being. So Lord Vishnu agreed to go to earth in the guise of Prince Ram, the son of King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya.

The story of Lord Rama as told in the great epic Ramayana is one that most Indians know irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Lord Rama is a legendary figure, the epitome of all that is good and true, the man who vanquished the demon king, Ravana. Lord Rama is not just a hero, but has been given the status of a god by the Hindus. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that his birth is celebrated year after year with great pomp and enjoyment on the ninth day after the new moon in Sukul Paksh (the waxing moon), which falls sometime in the month of April.

Ram Navami Rituals

On the occasion of Ram Navami, all the followers of Lord Rama worship to satisfy him. All the members of the family worship together, in order to observe the auspicious birthday of Lord Rama. The Pooja begins with the installation of the idols or pictures of Lord Rama, Laxmana, Sita, and Hanuman. The youngest female member of the family put tika to all the male members of the family. At the last the prasad is distributed to all the devotees.

Bhajans

Bhajans are also a vital ritual of Ram Navami Pooja. The followers of Lord Rama make the entire atmosphere religious by singing the bhajans and choupais of Ramcharit Manas. A holy priest recites the story of Ran Janama (Lord Rama’s birth) to all the devotees who keep fast on this day. Continuous reciting of holy mantras and Ramnam (Ram’s name) makes the occasion highly religious as well as spiritual.

Some of the popular bhajans sung on this day include the Hare Krishna mahamantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

The Rama Stotra in the Vishnu Sahasranama, say this sloka 3 times as mentioned in the sahasranama.

Sri Rama Rama Rameti Rame Raame Manorame S
ahasra Nama Tat Tulyam Rama Nama Varanane
Sri Rama Nama Varanane Iti

Fast

The followers of Lord Rama also keep a whole-day fast on the festival of Ram Navami. Many of the devotees go for a fast on satvik food i.e. holy food without salt and other adulterated materials. However, many of them also keep a waterless fast (nirjal vrat). The Ram Navami fast is broken on midnight if one has observed a waterless fast (nirjal vrat).

Rath Yatra

On the occasion of Ram Navami, a Rath Yatra or a chariot parade is also taken out in Ayodhya, the birth place of Ram. The Ram Rath Yatra also comprise of idols of Sita, Laxman, and Hanuman. The Rath Yatra is taken out by many of the temples in the city and is followed by the chanting of Ram Nama (Rama’s holy name) by the devotees. Many people from abroad who are seeking spiritual understanding also attend this chariot parade as it is said to bring spiritual enlightenment and good luck forever in life.

There are three different types of fasts that can be held on this day:

• Fasting until noon
• Eating only once during the day
• Fasting until midnight
• Fasting for for nine days beginning on the first day of Chaitra

When eating a single meal during the fast, it may consist of fruits and fruit extracts. Alternatively, if eating a full meal, it can include potatoes made in any form without haldi (turmeric), garlic, ginger or onion, fruits and any type of vegatable. Curd, tea, coffee, milk, and water are also permitted.

Pilgrimage

People visit sacred places associated with Lord Ram during this holy time. Places like Ayodhya, Ujjain and Rameshwaram attracts thousands of devotees across the country. In Rameshwaram, thousands take a ritual bath in the sea before worshipping at the Ramanathaswamy temple. Many places in North India host fairs in connection with the festival, culminating in spectacular fireworks on Rama Navami.

It is said that the repetition of his name (Rama Nama) is the surest, fastest and easiest way to attain purity, peace, wisdom, understanding, joy, prosperity and ultimately liberation. Bhagwan Rama Himself said, “Repetition of My name once is equal to the repetition of one thousand names of God or to the repetition of a Mantra one thousand times.”

Sourced from: Ram Navami History – Origin and History Of Ram Navami/ Rama Navami Festival: श्री राम नवमी, Ramnavami.com / Rama Navami – Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia