Rama Navami

Rama Navami

Millions of Hindus will spend the day chanting the name of the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Devotees will make Paanagam at home as an offering to the king of Ayodhya, husband of the goddess Sita. Poojas will be performed at home as well as in Hindu temples across the world.

April 4th, 2017, will be celebrated as Rama Navami. Lord Rama was the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. He wielded a bow and arrow and is famous for one of the two great Indian epics, the Ramayana. His birthday is a part of the spring Navratri and falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu month of Chaithra. This day is celebrated as Rama Navami.

Rama with his wife Sita on the right and brother Lakshmana on the left and devotee Hanuman at his feet

  This year, on Rama Navami, the Bharatiya Ekta Mandir Temple of Arizona in Phoenix, Arizona, is hosting a celebration. There will be a pooja, a play, and a group Carnatic music performance. The Carnatic music performers will sing eight songs dedicated to Lord Rama. According to the temple's website, there will also be a celebration of Rama and Sita's marriage, during which devotees pretend to witness Rama and Sita's wedding and marry them off. The event is called Sree Sita Rama Kalyanam.

  Rama is the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu, also called Narayana, is part of the great trinity of Hindu gods, alongside Shiva and Brahma. Brahma is the creator, Shiva is the protector and destroyer and Vishnu is the protector.

  It is said that Vishnu will take ten forms, or avatars, on Earth - the first nine to save humanity, and the 10th to destroy everything.

  The Ramayana is essentially the entire life story of Rama. However, a basic summary of the Indian epic goes like this. Dasharatha ruled over the kingdom of Ayodhya. He has three wives who, together, gave birth to four sons on the same day. These four sons, Rama, Laksmana, Bharatha and Shatrugna, were the princes of Ayodhya. Rama, the oldest and Dasharatha’s favorite, was set to be the crown prince. That's when disaster struck.

  One of the queens, Kaikeyi, was brainwashed into asking Dasharatha to banish prince Rama for 14 years and to make her own son the crown prince. Since Dasharatha had promised Kaikeyi two boons he would grant, he was obligated to fulfill her wishes. Prince Rama was banished to the forest for 14 years. His wife Sita, the avatar of the goddess Lakshmi, the god Vishnu’s wife in heaven, accompanied Rama to the forest. Rama’s brother Lakshmana also accompanied him.

  In the forest, the three lived happily until Sita was kidnapped by the demon king Ravana and taken to Lanka - now known as Sri Lanka. Rama and Lakshmana search everywhere for Sita. During the search, Rama befriends Hanuman, Sugreeva and a tribe of monkeys. Eventually, Rama, Lakshmana and an army of monkeys and bears realize Sita is held captive at Lanka.

  The army builds a bridge, known as the Rama Setu, which still exists today, from the southernmost tip of India to Sri Lanka. It is said that the name Rama has been inscribed on each stone used in this bridge. The Rama Setu, unfortunately, has long since been submerged in the Indian ocean due to rising sea levels.

Rama Setu bridge

  The army crosses over to Lanka and fights the ten-headed Ravana and his army of demons. Rama eventually chops off all of Ravana’s heads, killing him. Sita is rescued and reunited with Rama.

Rama fighting Ravana

  By the time Sita is rescued, 14 years have gone by since Rama was exiled, so they returned happily to Ayodhya. The day Rama returns is celebrated as Diwali in India.

Rama Navami is not a huge festival in India and is typically not a public holiday. However, schools and firms that wish to declare the day a holiday may do so.