Ram Navami is one of the most auspicious festivals for Hindus. It marks the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu, in the Treta Yuga. The seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu was born to King Dashratha and Queen Kaushalya in Ayodhya. His birth is celebrated on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri and as per the Hindu calendar, it falls in the brighter half or Shukla Paksha of the Chaitra month that begins with the full moon in March or April.
At the festival of Ram Navami, devotees seek God’s blessing and pray for prosperity and peace. They hope for success and offer food to the ones who are needy. Hindus also perform the ritual called Kanya Puja where they pay respect to nine girls as they believe that they are the manifestation of Goddess Durga herself. They invite them home and in prasad, they offer sooji ka halwa, kala chana, and puri to the nine girls. To know more about the significance of Ram Navami, read on to know why we celebrate it in the first place.
Ram Navami 2022 Date
Ram Navami 2022 will be celebrated all over India on April 10.
What Is The Significance of Ram Navami?
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The significance of Ram Navami is recorded in the holy Rama recitals. One can find it in Ramayana, which is considered one of the greatest Sanskrit epics in Hinduism. In other legends, Ram Navami is also known as Vratha Katha. It marks the birth of Lord Rama. According to the history of Ram Navami, Lord Rama’s parents, King Dashratha and his three queens, Kaikeyi, Kaushalya, and Sumitra were not able to give birth to an heir. To find a way, they consulted Rishi Vashisht who asked them to perform Putra Kamesti Yagna. After the Yagna, they were fed with kheer, which was blessed by the Lord of Yagna, called Yajna. After seeking the blessing, Queen Kaushalya gave birth to Rama on the ninth day of the Chaitra month. Rama’s brothers, Lakshman, Shatrugana and Bharat were born to other queens. As per Ramayana, while Lord Rama was the right heir and king of Ayodhya, he had to step back from his duties and go on an exile for 14 years after the orders from his father. He ruled the kingdom once he was back from his exile with brother Lakshman and wife, Goddess Sita. It is believed that Lord Rama ruled for eleven thousand years and his golden period of reign was known as Ram Rajya. Ram Navami signifies Lord Rama’s birth, his journey, and everything that he gave and taught to humankind.
How Is Ram Navami Pooja Performed?
Ram Navami is considered one of the most important festivals in the Hindu religion and celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and zeal. The importance of Ram Navami puja is observed in different parts of the country. At some places, the miniature idols of Lord Rama are bathed, decorated and placed in small cradles. This symbolises the birth of Lord Rama. Kheer is prepared as an offering and lamps and diyas are lit all over. At some places, devotees prepare food and offer it to the needy. Kanya Puja is also performed at some places where nine young girls, who are considered manifestations of Goddess Durga, are worshipped and offered prasad of kheer, puri and chana.
What Is The History of Ram Navami & Lord Rama?
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The history of Ram Navami marks the birth of Lord Rama who is considered the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu and his 349th name in the book Vishnu Sahasranama. It was believed that Lord Vishnu had a total of ten incarnations and before Lord Rama, he had taken birth as Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), Narasimha (man and lion), Vamana (dwarf) and Parshurama. After Lord Rama, he took birth as Krishna and Buddha. Interestingly enough, it is believed that he is yet to take birth as Kalki, his tenth and last incarnation. It is also a fact that Lord Rama is the oldest deity who is worshipped in the form of human.
He was born in the Treta Yuga that is believed to have ended almost 1296000 years ago. As per mythology, the Guru of Raghuvanshi, Maharishi Vashistha named Lord Rama. According to him, his name is made up of two bijakshara or spores–Agni Beej and Amrit Beej. These two spores together are meant to provide strength to the mind, body and soul. In Mahabharata, one of the greatest Sanskrit epics in the Hindu religion, it is mentioned by Lord Shiva that if someone recites the name of Rama thrice, they would be reciting the name of thousand deities at once. In fact, Lord Shiva’s name is also that of Lord Rama during meditation.
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You would be surprised to know that one of the biggest devotees of Lord Rama, Hanuman, was also the one who once defeated Lord Rama in a battle. Lord Rama was ordered to kill the King of Kashi, Yayati by Rishi Vikramaditya. But during the battle, Hanuman started reciting the name of Lord Rama that made him immune to Rama’s arrows. Ultimately, Lord Rama had to accept defeat and let go of Yayati. Hanuman and his Vanar Sena were also responsible for helping Lord Rama to build Ram Setu to rescue Goddess Sita. The 30km bridge was built in six days and Nal and Neel were the two main craftsmen to build that bridge.
While a lot of you would know that Goddess Sita was abducted by Ravana, not many know that Lord Rama and Lakshman were also abducted by Ravana’s brother, Ahiravan. He had planned to sacrifice them and offer them to Mahamaya Devi but it was Lord Hanuman who had rescued them before that had happened.
As per mythology, Sita had abandoned her body and had absorbed herself in the Earth. Later, Lord Rama had also taken Samadhi in the water of the Saryu River and abandoned his body forever. Lord Rama represented the ideals of the right path and the significance of Ram Navami encourages people to remember his teachings and adapt his preachings.
More Festive Stories
Here are some more upcoming Indian festivals that you need to mark on your calendar.
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Dussehra Wishes: This year, the festival falls on October 25 and to mark the occasion, we’ve made a list of Dussehra wishes, quotes and messages that you can send to your loved ones to wish them on the festival.
Diwali Wishes: Here’s a list Diwali wishes, quotes on Diwali, messages, greetings and Diwali WhatsApp status messages so that you don’t run out of happy thoughts for your friends and family this year.
Happy Ram Navami Wishes: Now that you know the significance and history of Ram Navami, here is a list of the best Ram Navami wishes, Ram Navami quotes and Ram Navami messages for you.
Independence Day Significance: Every Indian should know about Independence Day’s significance and therefore, read out and celebrate the day!
Hoping that you have a prosperous Ram Navami 2022 fam!
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