Rama Navami () is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

festival that celebrates the birth of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being an ideal king and human through his righteousness, good conduct and virtue. The festival falls on the ninth day of the bright half (

Shukla Paksha Paksha () refers to a fortnight or a lunar phase in a month of the Hindu lunar calendar. Literally meaning "side", a paksha is the period either side of the '' purnima'' ( full moon day). A lunar month in the Hindu calendar has two fortnights, ...

) of the lunar cycle of

Chaitra Chaitra () is a month of the Hindu calendar. In the standard Hindu calendar and India's national civil calendar, Chaitra is the first month of the year. It is the last month in the Bengali calendar, where it is called Choitro. Chaitra or Cha ...

(March–April), the last month in the

Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar, also called Panchangam, Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes ...

. It is also part of the Chaitra Navaratri festival in spring. Rama Navami is a holiday for government employees in India.Holiday Calendar
, High Court of Karnataka, Government The rituals and customs associated with Rama Navami vary from region to region throughout India. The day is marked by reciting from the Hindu epic

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

which narrates the tale of Rama. Vaishnava Hindus celebrate the festival by visiting temples, praying, fasting, listening to spiritual discourses and singing bhajans or kirtans (devotional songs). Some devotees offer worship to Rama like an infant by placing an image of him in a cradle. Charitable events and community meals are also organized. The festival is an occasion for moral reflection for many Hindus. Important celebrations on this day take place at

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

Ram Mandir The Ram Mandir (ISO 15919, ISO: , ), also known as Shri Ramlalla Mandir, is a partially constructed Hindu temple, Hindu temple complex in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. Many Hindus believe that it is located at the site of Ram Janmabhoomi, t ...

and numerous Rama temples all over India. Ratha yatras (chariot processions) of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, and

Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...

occur at several places. In Ayodhya, many take a dip in the sacred river Sarayu and then visit the Rama temple.Hindus around the world celebrate Ram Navami today
DNA, 8 April 2014

Birth

Details regarding the birth of Rama is mentioned in Valmiki's ''Ramayana'' and the ''Mahabharata.'' As noted, Rama was born to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in the city of

. King Dasharatha had three wives - Kausalya, Kaikeyi and

Sumitra Sumitra (, IAST: Sumitrā) is a princess of Kashi and the queen of Kosala in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sumitra is the second queen consort of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, who ruled from Ayodhya. Regarded to be a wise and dedicated wom ...

, but remained sonless for many years. Desperate for an heir, Dasharatha organized a sacrifice to be conducted under the authority of the sage, Rishyasringa, which concluded with a celestial figure that emerged from a fire with a pot of rice and milk. As instructed, the king divided the contents of the pot among his wives to drink. As a result, Kausalya gave birth to Rama on the ninth day of the bright half (

) of the lunar cycle of

(March–April), also known as Rama Navami. Furthermore, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata and Sumitra bore twins - Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Thus, with the birth of four sons, Dasharatha's desire was fulfilled.

Celebrations and rituals

A number of cities mentioned in the

legends about Rama's life observe major celebrations. These include

(Uttar Pradesh), Rameswaram (

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

), Bhadrachalam (

Telangana Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...

) and Sitamarhi (Bihar). The rituals and customs associated with Rama Navami vary from region to region throughout India. Many of these traditions include reading and listening to discourses from the Ramayana, organizing '' ratha yatras'' (chariot processions), charitable events, hosting a wedding procession (''kalyanotsavam'') of Rama and Sita, and offering reverence to Sita, Lakshmana, and Hanuman who have played important roles in Rama's life story.

Surya Surya ( ; , ) is the Sun#Dalal, Dalal, p. 399 as well as the solar deity in Hinduism. He is traditionally one of the major five deities in the Smarta tradition, Smarta tradition, all of whom are considered as equivalent deities in the Panchaya ...

, the Hindu solar deity, is also worshipped among some communities. In

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

, Rama Navami is celebrated by the local ''mandalis'' (organizations) and streets, by dispersing free '' panaka'' (a jaggery drink) and some food. Additionally, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Sree Ramaseva Mandali, R.C.T (R.) Chamrajpet, organizes India's most prestigious, month-long classical music festival. The uniqueness of this 80 year old musical extravaganza is that celebrated Indian classical musicians, irrespective of their religion, from both genres – Carnatic (South Indian) and Hindustani (North Indian) – descend down to offer their musical rendition to Rama and the assembled audience. In eastern Indian states such as

Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...

Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...

, and

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, the Jagannath temples and regional Vaishnava community observe Rama Navami, and begin preparations for their annual Jagannath

Ratha Yatra Ratha Yatra (), or chariot festival, is any public procession in a chariot. They are held annually during festivals in India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The term also refers to the popular annual Ratha Yatra of Puri that involves a public process ...

in summer. Nepal celebrates Ram Navami with particular enthusiasm, especially at the Janaki Temple in

Janakpur Janakpurdham or Janakpur (), is the capital city of Madhesh Province. This sub-metropolitan city is a central hub for the Maithili language, as well as for religious and cultural tourism in Nepal. The city was founded in the early 18th centur ...

(Sita's birthplace). The temple hosts week-long celebrations including ritual bathing of Ram's image in milk and water from sacred wells. Local traditions incorporate elements of Mithila culture with distinctive art forms featuring geometric patterns and natural dyes. Devotees associated with

ISKCON The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, is a religious organization that follows the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. It was founded on 13 July 1966 ...

fast throughout the day. A number of ISKCON temples introduced a more prominent celebration of the occasion of the holiday with the view of addressing needs of growing native Hindu congregation. It was however a notable calendar event on the traditional Gaurabda calendar with a specific additional requirement of fasting by devotees. ISKCON's Dubai chapter called Damodardesh, led by Shri Vallabh Prabhu, has been organizing annual spiritual & cultural congregations on Rama Navami with thousands of devotees gathering for Rama Pooja, Pallaki & Ratha Yatra by pious priests, Harikatha by leading scholars, dance performances by lovely groups such as NANDA Performing Arts by Guru Iswarya Bharadwaj and Bhajans by renowned members of the society including Shri Nandakumar Prabhu & Shri Harinam Prabhu. On April 17, 2024, the first Rama Navami after the consecration of Ayodhya's Ram Temple was celebrated by thousands of devotees across India. On this occasion, the Ram Temple witnessed a unique event at noon as the forehead of the Ram Lalla ''

murti In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...

'' was anointed with a ray of sunlight, known as '' Surya Tilak''. Scores of devotees watched the live-streaming of the event across the globe.

Spiritual Significance

Rama Navami is not only a celebration of the birth of Lord Rama but also holds deep spiritual significance in Hindu tradition. The festival underscores the ideals of dharma (righteousness), devotion, and the pursuit of truth, as exemplified by Rama's life. According to Dr. Yatendra Sharma, "Rama Navami inspires devotees to reflect on the virtues of Lord Rama and encourages the practice of humility, compassion, and adherence to one's duties, serving as a reminder to lead a life guided by moral principles." The observance of Rama Navami, through fasting, recitation of scriptures, and community celebrations, is seen as an opportunity for spiritual renewal and the strengthening of ethical values within society.

Literature

During Rama Navami, reading or listening from literature about Rama is a common practice. Reading the entire ''

'' (Hindu epic entailing the adventures of Rama) for a week leading up to Rama Navami is organized. The earliest version of the text was composed by the sage

Valmiki Valmiki (; , ) was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epic ''Ramayana'', based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as ''Ādi Kavi'', the first poet, author of ''Ramayana'', the first epic poe ...

Tulsidas Rambola Dubey (; 11 August 1511 – 30 July 1623pp. 23–34.), popularly known as Goswami Tulsidas (), was a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava (Ramanandi Sampradaya, Ramanandi) Hinduism, Hindu saint and poet, renowned for his devotion to the deity Rama. H ...

's '' Ramcharitmanas,'' a later version of the Ramayana written in the vernacular of that time, is also popularly recited. The start of the composition of the ''Ramcharitmanas'' began on Rama Navami.

Drama

A public dramatic performance, known as '' Ramlila,'' is annually hosted on the festivals of Rama Navami and Vijayadashami. ''Ramlila'' encapsulates the story of Rama through music, drama, dance and various other mediums. The enactments of ''Ramlila'' are inspired by the Tulsidas's ''Ramcharitmanas.''

Outside of India

Rama Navami is one of the Hindu festivals that is celebrated by the

Indian diaspora Overseas Indians (ISO 15919, ISO: ), officially Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and People of Indian Origin (PIOs) are people of Indian descent who reside or originate outside of India (Including those that were directly under the British Raj). Acc ...

with roots in Uttar Pradesh and other states. The descendants of Indian

indentured servants Indentured servitude is a form of labor in which a person is contracted to work without salary for a specific number of years. The contract called an "indenture", may be entered voluntarily for a prepaid lump sum, as payment for some good or ser ...

who were forced to leave India due to famines and then promised jobs in colonial

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

before 1910 in British-owned plantations and mines, and thereafter lived under the South African

apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...

regime, continued to celebrate Rama Navami by reciting the Ramayana and by singing

bhajan Bhajan is an Indian term for any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Dharmic religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root w ...

s of Tyagaraja and Bhadrachala Ramdas. The tradition continues in contemporary times in the Hindu temples of

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

every year. Similarly, in

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, other

Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...

countries,

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

, Denmark and many other countries with Hindu descendants of colonial-era indentured workers forced to leave British India have continued to observe Rama Navami along with their other traditional festivals. It is also celebrated by Hindus in

Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...

and Fijian

Hindus Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

who have re-migrated elsewhere.

References and notes

External links

*
Rama Navami Special – Shri Raam Nam Mahima
{{Hindudharma Hindu festivals Hindu holy days Vaishnavism Religious festivals in India Hindu festivals in Nepal Public holidays in Nepal March observances April observances Rama Vrata Birthdays by person Hindu festivals in India