|Sree Rama Navami |
|[pic] |
|Ram (center), with consort Sita, brother Lakshmana and devotee Hanuman |
|Observed by |Hindus |
|Type |Hindu |
|Significance |Birth day of Ram; Marriage ceremony of Ram and Sita |
|Ends |Chaitra Navami, Ninth day of Chaitra month |
|2013 date |19 April |
|Celebrations |1 - 9 days |
|Observances |Puja, vrata (fast) and feasting |
| Related to |Rama, Sita |
Ram Navami (Devanāgarī: राम नवमी)is also known as Sri Rama Navami (IAST SriRām-navamī) is a Hindu festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya of Ayodhya. Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu.[1][2][3] Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the Shukla). The SreeRama Navami festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar.
At some places the festival lasts the whole nine days of the Navratras, thus the period is called 'Sri Rama Navratra'.[4][5] It is marked by continuous recitals, Akhand Paath, mostly of the Ramacharitamanas, with elaborate bhajan, kirtan and distribution of prasad after the puja and aarti. Images of infant form of Sri Rama are placed on cradles and rocked by devotees. Since Rama is the 7th incarnation of Vishnu having born at noon, temples and family shrines are elaborately decorated and traditional prayers are chanted together by the family in the morning. Also, at temples special havans are organized, along with Vedic