Ram Navami Festival 2024 April 17

Ram Navami 2024 festival is on April 17. Rama Navami Festival is a Hindu festival celebrated as the birthday of Lord Ram or Ramachandra, the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. Ramnavami occurs on the ninth day of the Hindu Chaitra Masa (March - April), hence the festival is also named Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami.

Ram Navami 2024 Festival

Ram Navami is a nine-day festival in many places of India, especially North India and Rama Navami is observed on the final day of Chaitra Navaratri or Vasant Navaratri. These nine days of Ramanavami festival is considered as the ‘Ramayana Week’, and the great Hindu epic Ramayana is recited on houses as well as in temples dedicated to Lord Ram and Lord Vishnu. This year, the Rama Navami festival is on 17 April, Wednesday.

How Rama Navami is Celebrated

Rama Navami Celebrations starts with a special prayer to Lord Surya in the early morning. Lord Ram Mandirs and Lord Vishnu temples are beautiful adorned with the images of Lord Ram, Sita Devi, Lakshmana and Hanuman Swamy, the ardent devotee of Lord Rama. Slokhas from Sri Ramacaritamanas (Ramacharita Manas) an epic poem composed by Tulsidas is recited. Special pujas are performed at midday, as it is when Lord Ram was born.

Most Lord Ram devotees undertake fasting on the Ramanavami day. People perform the Kalyanotsavam or marriage celebration of Lord Rama and Sita Devi using small idols on Ramnavami day. The Ram Navami procession takes place in the evening. The murtis (idols) of Lord Ram, Sita Devi, Lakshman, and Lord Hanuman are taken out to a procession of the streets in a beautifully decorated chariot. The chariot is accompanied by numerous persons dressed up resembling Rama's soldiers in ancient costumes.

Lord Ram Bhajans, Rama Stotras, devotional songs of Lord Ram, and Hanuman Mantras, are recited on the Ram Navami festival. The Ramlila, a theater art form which tells the story of Lord Ram’s life is enacted in memory of Lord Ram’s prosperous and righteous reign of Ayodhya.

People also exchange Ram Navami Gifts to their loved ones to share the joy of Rama Navami festival.

In South India, special pujas and celebrations are conducted on Lord Rama temples and Lord Vishnu temples. The Kalyanotsav celebrated at the Sree Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Temple of Bhadrachala in Andhra Pradesh is very famous and attracts thousands of devotees from nearby states as well.