Ram Navmi festival

Prof. (Dr) R.D. Gupta
The Ram Navmi festival – the ninth day of navratras is celebrated on the occasion of Lord’s Rama’s birthday. Ram Navmi, is the day of traditional celebrations for most of the Hindus including Kashmiri Pandits. Lord Rama is the symbol of good and virtue. This festival is an occasion for great rejoicing especially for the Vaishnav’s. Although Rama Navmi is the lesser festival for the people of South India yet it is an important festival in the North India vis-a-vis in the Eastern and Central India, where it is celebrated with great fervour and gaiety.
Seventh Incarnation: The Lord Vishnu, indeed, took seventh incarnation (Avtar) during Treta yug named as Sri Rama or Rama Chandra to kill the demons particularly the Ravana the demon king of Sri Lanka, on the 9th day of Chaitra month (Bikrami Year). This day usually falls on the ninth day of Navratras celebrated during the month of March. But sometimes this ninth day of Chaitra Navratra comes of during Baiskah month i.e. April. As Lord Rama was born exactly at 12 noon on the ninth Navratra day of Chaitra month so on Ram Navmi day the worship of Lord Rama Commences exactly from the same time. The Ram Navmi festivasl, thus, signifies the birth of the Lord Rama, the hero of the Epic Ramayan. He is considered one of the most popular Gods of Hindus and recarnation of Lord Vishnu – the operator or the Presever (sustainer) of the whole of the universe. This can be corroborated even today as many of the tribes of India dweling in the forests, isolated valleys and jungles have name of Lord Rama like Mitti Ram, Jagat Ram, Lidhu Ram etc. In many parts of India mutual greetings in the form of Ram Ram, Jai Ram ki are very commonly used.
Celebration of Ram Navmi :
There is no doubt that Ram Navmi is widely organised in many parts of India. But at Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh)- Rama’s legendry birth place- Ram Navmi festival is celebrated with great pomp and show. On this day thousands of pilgrims from various parts of the country throng at the Kanaka Bhawani Temple and havans are performed at the temple which are dedicated to Lord Rama.
A huge fair is held for two days. Chariot procession of Sri Rama, his consort Goddess Sita; brother Lakshman and dearest/earnest Sri Rama’s devotee- Sri Hanuman, are taken out from the temples. Sri Hanuman is worshipped for his unflinching devotion to the Lord Rama. Plays based upon Ramayana are enacted just like Ram Lila which is held in Jammu during Sep-Oct Navratras. As soon the sun rises, a coconut is placed in the cradle and at noon (when the Lord Rama is said to be born) the priest proclaim his birth. People keep on fast on this day and pray to the Lord Rama for his blessings. Ayodhya and Pondicherry are only two places which are closely linked with this  events of the Ramayana to participate in Ram Navmi festivity. Swami Vivekananda once said:
“Wherever four Hindus dwell in, Rama Sita will be there”. “The reverse is also equally true i.e. wherever Rama and Sita dwell in there will remain the Hindu People”.
Celebration of Ram Navmi in Jammu:
In various places in Jammu city, the festival of Ram Navmi is held with great hustle & bustle. All temples big or small are decorated and the idol of Lord Rama, the Goddess Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman are adorned intensively.
Traditional worship commences from chanting Vedic hymns and mantras which are dedicated to the Lord Vishnu. Wreaths of flowers, fruits, vegetables, sweets and cash are offered. Religious meetings (locally called satsang) relating to commemorate the birth day of the lord Rama are held. Some of the devotees of Lord Rama keep fast for all the nine days (Navratras) and take only fruits and preparation of buck wheat sanghara flour, milk and curd, while some devotees have fast only on Ram Navmi. Havans are performed. In Jammu city every year one day prior to celebrating Ram Navmi, a chariot (shoba yatra) procession is taken out. It is arranged by Sanatan Dharam Sabha. The procession starts from the Raghunath temple and after passing through a number of bazars like Rajinder Bazar, Kanak Mandi, Virmarg, Link Raod, Jain Bazar, Moti Bazar, Raj Tilak Road,City Chowk and culminats there via Raghunath Bazar. A large number of religious, social, cultural organisations participate in the procession.
The views and ideas shown by various artists/ singers/ intellectuals in the colourful Jhankies during the “Shoba Yatra” enthrall the people (spectators) standing on the either side of the roads. For examples “Jujuba fruit (Ber) offered by Shibri an old woman in devotion to the Lord Rama for eating during his exile, shown in one of the Jhanki reveals that he treated all devotees alike”.
According to Shastras , there are thousands of temples to Lord Rama all over India. Next to Rama, places of worship honouring his consort Goddess Sita and his brothers Lakshmana are present in a number of places. However there are not many in honour of Lord Rama’s two brothers- Bharat and Shatrughan. In the Thrissur district of kerala, there is temple which is known as Nalabalam, which means four different temples are dedicated to Lord Rama Sri Laksmana , Sri Bharat and  Sri Shatrughan.
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