Birthday of Rama of India: March 31
Birthday of Rama is a religious observance for Hindus worldwide.
In the Hindu Calendar, the Birthday of Rama falls on the ninth day of the month of Chaitra which usually falls between the regular month of March and April. The celebration is locally called as Ramnavami or Rama Navami.
He is believed to be a personified reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, the preserver. According to Hindu belief, Vishnu creates the Universe and preserves anything within it. The four-armed deity also has the ability to create and destroy all forms of existence at his will.
The Hindu of India celebrates the birth date of the religious deity Rama as described in the popular epic Ramayana. Rama is considered as the great rulers of the Ayodhya according to the legend leading the region with great prosperity and peace during his reign. Mahatma Gandhi once used this idea to describe India after its independence from the British in 1940.
The celebration of Birthday of Rama changes yearly. In 2010, the celebration of Birthday of Rama is scheduled on March 24.
History of Birthday of Rama
The life of Rama is described in the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. The epic has a profound influence on the culture and tradition of ancient and modern India. Ramayana has become the basis of Hindu teachings and traditions and devotional aspects of Hindu worship. The life of the characters in Ramayana is a reflection of human existence which forms part of today’s India’s cultural consciousness.
In Ramayana, Rama is described as Vishnu’s seventh reincarnation. In one of the great tragedies that hit Rama, he was sent into exile by his father as influenced by his father’s wife Kaikeyi resulting to the release of his right to govern Ayodhya.
The worship of the faithful to the sun and Rama are highly intertwined. Some Hindu sects venerate the sun first during Ramanavani and not Rama himself during the occasion. In fact, the descendants of Rama were said to have come directly from the sun which further explains the traditional sun worship during celebration of Rama’s Birthday.
India’s Birthday of Rama: Traditions, Customs and Activities
Public processions showing images (murti) of Rama swarm the street of India during the celebration. But the procession is preceded by ceremonial wedding in a temple priest’s house, and the traditional drinking of a cocktail called ‘Panakam’.
The Hindus begin the celebration with prayer to Rama and Vishnu usually in the form of devotional songs that sings praises to the personified form of Vishnu.
The faithful also observe fasting on this day along with the traditional dipping on the river of Sarayu which is considered sacred among the Hindus. Also, pilgrims to the ancient and important places for Ramnavami festivities such as Ayodhya and Puducherry.
The Hindus of the Northern India are famous for the highly elaborate Ramnavami procession. Chariots are loaded with images of Rama and people dressed up as Rama’s loved ones such as his Queen Rita, Laxman his brother, and Hanuman, his disciple. Other chariots may also carry individuals dressed up too as Rama’s soldiers.
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