Holy wishes of Ram Navami

[Guest guest]

Ram Navami -Symbolizing triumph of good on evil.The birth of a hero

Ram Navami is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the son of King

Dasharath. It was a joyous occasion in Ayodhya all those centuries ago when King

Dasharath’s heir was finally born. It was like a dream come true for the king as

the lack of an heir had troubled him sorely for many years.

Lord Rama is an avatar of Lord Vishnu who came down to earth to battle the

invincible Ravana in human form. Lord Brahma had been receiving complaints from

all the gods about the havoc that Ravana was wreaking on earth, but because Lord

Brahma had granted Ravana so many boons, he could not be killed by a god. But

Ravana had become so overconfident that he would never expect an attack from a

human being. So Lord Vishnu agreed to go to earth in the guise of Prince Ram,

the son of King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya.

The story of Lord Rama as told in the great epic Ramayana is one that most

Indians know irrespective of caste, creed and religion. Lord Rama is a

legendary figure, the epitome of all that is good and true, the man who

vanquished the demon king Ravana. Lord Rama is not just a hero, but has been

given the status of a god by the Hindus. Therefore, it comes as no surprise

that his birth is celebrated year after year with great pomp and enjoyment on

the ninth day after the new moon in Sukul Paksh (the waxing moon), which falls

sometime in the month of April.

The festivities

So how is Ram Navami celebrated? Some people choose to fast on this day. The

diet of such a person would include potatoes made in any form without haldi

(turmeric), garlic, ginger or onion. He can also eat fruit and root vegetables

of any kind. Curd, tea, coffee, milk, and water are also permitted.

Bhajans praising the exploits of Lord Rama, his loyal brother Lakshman and his

devoted wife Sita are sung. The house is swept clean and pictures of Lord Rama,

Lakshman, Sita and Hanuman are put on a dais in preparation for the puja.

Flowers and incense are kept before the deities. There are two thaalis kept

ready in the puja area. One contains the prasad and the other the items

necessary for the puja like roli, aipun, rice, water, flowers, a bell and a

conch.

First, the youngest female member of the family applies teeka to all the male

members of the family. A red bindi is applied on the foreheads of all the

female members. Everyone participates in the puja by first sprinkling the

water, roli, and aipun on the gods and then showering handfuls of rice on the

deities. Then everybody stands up to perform the arti at the end of which ganga

jal or plain water is sprinkled over the gathering. The singing of bhajans goes

on for the entire puja. Finally, the prasad is distributed among all the people

who have gathered for worship."Gurur Brahma Gurur VishnuGurur Devoh

Maheshwar;Gurur Shakshat ParambramhaTashmai Shri Gurur Veh Namah"May the

Merciful Sri Sai Baba always shower His grace on us and our families and remove

our problems and anxieties by giving us all - strength , goodluck, success and

happiness with peace of mind.Sai bhakt,Deepa Hdebu7366

Plan great trips with Travel: Now over 17,000 guides!