Ram Navami is recorded in Rama recitals, especially in Ramayana which is considered one of the two great Sanskrit epics of the Hindu religion. The story of Ram Navami is also called the Vratha Katha.
It describes how King Dashratha and his three queens – Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra performed the Putra Kamesti Yagna on the advice of Rishi Vashishth, when neither of King Dashratha’s wives was able to bear him an heir. After the yagna, the three queens were given kheer, which was blessed by Yajna, Lord of Yagna.
The queens conceived soon after they consumed the kheer and on the ninth day of Chaitra month, Queen Kaushalya gave birth to Rama. Bharat, Lakshman and Shatrugana were born to the other queens.
Rama had to step back as the rightful heir of Ayodhya due to the promise made by King Dashratha to his third wife Kaikeyi. However, he ruled the kingdom once he came back from 14 years of exile and became a just and loved ruler.
Why is Ram Navami celebrated?
According to the Hindu scriptures, King Dasharatha had three wives but he had no child, so they performed Putra Kamesti Yagna on the advice of Rishi Vashishth. The queens conceived soon after having the kheer serve as Prasad. And on the ninth day of Chaitra month, Queen Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, Sumitra gave birth to Lord Shatrughan and Lord Lakshaman, and Kaikeyi gave birth to Lord Bharat. Hindu followers have since commemorated Lord Shri Ram’s birth anniversary with amazing splendour and fervour.
As Lord Vishnu’s seventh incarnation, Lord Rama created a welfare state for his people and served as an example for everyone else. He was free from greed, hatred, and vices; he defended the vulnerable and stood up for what was right against all odds. It was his holistic behaviour and great values that made him popular as ‘Maryada Purushottam.’
Celebrations in India:
On this day, devotees pray for peace, prosperity and success and seek divine blessings from Rama. Ram Navami also marks the ninth day of Navratri when devotees celebrate Navami by providing food for the needy.
Hindus also perform the rituals of Kanya Puja on this day, where 9 girls are invited at home and paid respect as Hindus believe that they are the manifestation of Devi. A prasad consisting of sooji halwa, kala chana and puri is also prepared and offered to the girls after the puja ritual.
Ram Navami is one of the biggest Hindu festivals and is celebrated in a number of ways. Some devotees bathe and dress up miniature idols of Rama, lit a lamp in front of the idol and then place these idols in a cradle to mark his birth while kheer is prepared as an offering to God.
