Ram Navami 2023
Ram Navami is a significant Hindu festival in spring that celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Rama. The festival celebrates the incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Rama, born to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya. The festival is part of Navratri during the month of Chaitra, which comes in March or April in the Gregorian calendar. The festival is enthusiastically celebrated at Ayodhya, Sitamarhi, Bhadrachalam Janakpurdham, Vontimitta, Kodandarama, and Rameshwaram.
This time, the Sri Ram Navmi 2023 date falls on 30th March.
History
Every year, the Sri Ram Navmi 2023 date generally falls between March and April, and there would be many activities in temples and other religious spots in India. This is because the month of Chaitra is right around the corner, and one of the holiest Hindu festivals, Ram Navami 2023, is to be celebrated in the waxing moon phase or the ‘Shukla Paksha.’
It is believed that in 5114 BC, on the same day, the prayers of the King of Ayodhya, Dasharatha, were answered. The King had three wives, Sumitra, Kaikeyi, and Kausalya, who could not give birth to a baby boy, which the King needed as a successor to this throne and to take care of his vast empire.
The King was then advised to perform the Puthra Kameshti Yagna, a holy ritual to obtain offspring, by the great sage Vasistha. With the King’s consent, the ceremony was performed by Maharshi Rushya Shrunga. The King was given payasam (a preparation of rice and milk) in a bowl and was asked to distribute it to his wives equally. The King gave one-half of the preparation to Kaikeyi and the other half to Kausalya. Both wives gave half of their portions to the third wife, Sumithra. This unequal distribution led to Sumithra giving birth to twins and Kaikeyi and Kausalya giving birth to one son.
This day was widely celebrated by the people of Ayodhya, who thanked God for the miracle, but they did not know that God himself was the newborn son of Kausalya in the form of Rama. In adulthood, Rama defeated Ravana and his army, along with many wondrous deeds, and made people realize his divine status. When Rama became the King, the people celebrated his birthday yearly as he was a great ruler. This was when the Ram Navami celebration began.
Celebration
Ram Navami is celebrated in primarily many ways with pandal programs, bhajan programs, and pujas to ratha yatras. The bhajan programs can be organized anywhere, either in temples or homes. During these programs, the bhajans are mostly about remembering the virtues of Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman. The temples would also conduct Ramayana Katha. This program is about chanting or presenting the details of Ramayana.
People also clean their houses and put pictures of Lord Rama, Sita, Hanuman, and Lakshman in preparation for the Puja. Moreover, incense and flowers are kept during the Puja along with two thaalis, one containing the Prasad and the other containing all the necessary items like water, flowers, rice, roli, and bell for the Puja.
In the birthplace of Lord Rama, Ayodhya, a huge fair is held with hundreds of people gathering to celebrate this grand festival. The fair is held for about two days. In Andhra Pradesh, Ram Navmi is celebrated for ten days beginning at the Chaitra Saptami till the Bahula Padyami.
Traditions of Ram Navami
Rama was the hero of the ancient Sanskrit epic, Ramayana, and the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. On Sri Rama Navami, the highlights of the epic are chanted and read in the temple. Every house is cleaned correctly, and family shrines are decorated with little statues of Rama. To signify the day, believers may restrict and fast themselves to a specific diet, and people would not consume certain foods like wheat, garlic, and onion products.
The key areas of the Ram Navami 2023 celebration are Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, and these places would attract lakhs of people. You can easily reach these places via TNSTC and UPSRTC buses. In a few parts of India, there is a tradition of tying a pot filled with money on top of a tree, and people form teams to take and claim the earthen pot, which will also be seen during Sri Ram Navami 2022.
Special Foods
Sri Ram Navami has several food items to suit this occasion. The most important food consumed is Prasad, which is usually a sweet dish. It is also called Naivedyam in some parts of the country.
Rice pudding is another sweet dish made with many variations in various parts of the country. The common ingredients are rice and milk. Neer Mor is another refreshing drink made for Ram Navmi in Tamil Nadu. Other dishes you could make for Sri Ram Navami include Kaju Barfi and coconut ladoo.
Celebrate this Ram Navami by taking part in the traditions of the festivals! With redBus, you can travel to any place turning Sri Rama Navami into a grand occasion. The website provides you with great travel options, helping you reach your destination stress-free!
