Ram Navami - Festivals
The birth of a
hero
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.
The festivities
So how is Ram Navami celebrated?
Some people choose to fast on this day. The diet of such a person would
include potatoes made in any form without haldi (turmeric), garlic, ginger
or onion. He can also eat fruit and root vegetables of any kind. Curd,
tea, coffee, milk, and water are also permitted.
Bhajans praising the exploits of
Lord Rama, his loyal brother Lakshman and his devoted wife Sita are sung.
The house is swept clean and pictures of Lord Rama, Lakshman, Sita and
Hanuman are put on a dais in preparation for the puja. Flowers and incense
are kept before the deities. There are two thaalis kept ready in the puja
area. One contains the prasad and the other the items necessary for the
puja like roli, aipun, rice, water, flowers, a bell and a conch.
First, the youngest female member
of the family applies teeka to all the male members of the family. A red
bindi is applied on the foreheads of all the female members. Everyone participates
in the puja by first sprinkling the water, roli, and aipun on the gods
and then showering handfuls of rice on the deities. Then everybody stands
up to perform the arti at the end of which ganga jal or plain water is
sprinkled over the gathering. The singing of bhajans goes on for the entire
puja. Finally, the prasad is distributed among all the people who have
gathered for worship.
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