RAM NAVAMI
Cultural significance
of Ram Navami
The festival
of Ram Navami marks the birthday celebrations of the Hindu Lord
Rama, who is considered to be one of the incarnations of Lord
Vishnu. According to the Hindu calendar, it falls on the ninth
day of the Chaitra month, which is the Spring season. In some
parts of India, it is celebrated as a nine-day festival that
coincides with Vasanta Navratri, dedicated to the female force
or Divine Mother better known as Durga or Shakti. .
What are the rituals?
Ram Navami is one of the most important festivals of the Vaishnav
sect of Hindus. In the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, early
morning rituals mark Ram Navami. It entails a havan, chanting
of Vedic mantras and offerings of fruits and flowers. A Rama temple
is beautifully decorated and the image of the Lord Rama is adorned
with rich clothes and jewels. Stories from the Ramayana are read
out in joyous public gatherings and satsangs. Most people fast
until midnight. They break their fast with a prasad of fruits
and milk.
This festival is celebrated with great pomp and glory even in
Pondicherry, Rishikesh and Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama.
The Ram Navami fair held at Ayodhya draws a huge crowd of dedicated
devotees. In the South, this festival is celebrated for nine days
as the wedding of Lord Rama and his lovely consort Sita. People
sing and chant the name of the Lord. Devotees have a highly colourful
ceremony to mark the wedding celebrations. .
The legend
The Ramayana is a story of Lord Rama, written by the sage Valmiki
in the 4th century B.C. As the legend goes, Lord Rama, eldest
son of King Dashratha, was banished to the forest for 14 long
years. He was dethroned due to his stepmother’s plans who
wanted to see her son Bharata ascend the throne in place of the
elder brother Rama. Rama willingly gave away the throne and his
wife Sita and brother Lakshman followed Rama to the forest, leaving
the throne for Bharata.
In these 14 years of banishment, Rama waged and won a war against
the evil Ravana, the King of Lanka, who had kidnapped his wife
Sita. He was aided by a band of monkeys, the most loyal of whom
is worshipped today as Lord Hanuman. Rama ascended the Ayodhya
throne after the triumph over Ravana. Even as he started ruling,
he was forced to banish his wife from the kingdom, following a
villager’s adverse comment about her association with Ravana.
The legend is cited to prove how Lord Rama always lived a life
of righteousness (dharma). He was born to destroy the evil and
protect the weak. As he embodies the highest ideals of man, he
is called the Maryada Pushottam, which means the perfect and best
man, someone who follows the path of righteousness against all
odds. .
Significance
Lord Rama was the ideal son, a righteous King, an upright husband
and a loving brother. He also led an ideal life of a householder.
He was also the true embodiment of humanity. Ram Navami is a therefore
a special reminder of the noble ideals for which Lord Rama stood.
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