Ram Navami: Coming home to Bhagwan Ram

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Ram Navami is not just a festival – it is a sacred return. A return to dharma, to simplicity, to discipline, and to devotion. It commemorates the divine birth of Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram, the seventh avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu, born to Raja Dashrath and Rani Kaushalya in the city of Ayodhya on the ninth day (Navami) of the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of Chaitra month, usually falling in March or April. For many, it marks the end of the Chaitra Navratri and the beginning of a spiritual renewal.

For me and my family, Ram Navami has always been deeply personal. It’s not a festival we simply “observe”- it’s something we live through, year after year.

Growing up, the most defining aspect of our celebration was the Akhand Ramayana Path- a continuous, 24-hour recitation of the Ramcharitmanas, written by Goswami Tulsidas. Every year without fail, we would organize the recital, either at home or in our local mandir, with different family members and friends taking turns to read aloud the story of Ram’s life, from his divine birth to his coronation after returning from exile. Even today, no matter how busy life becomes, I make sure to set aside that time to either participate in or host the Akhand Path.

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There’s something indescribable about sitting beside the Ramayana at 2 a.m., with nothing but the quiet sounds of shlokas echoing through the night and the diya flickering steadily on the altar. It’s humbling. It’s grounding. It reminds me why Ram still lives in the hearts of so many across the world.

Ram Navami is more than just a remembrance of a birth – it is the celebration of maryada, the ideal code of conduct. Shri Ram wasn’t just a prince or a king; he was the embodiment of virtue. He showed us how to live a life of discipline, integrity, and grace even amidst unimaginable adversity. As an ideal son, he chose exile over conflict with his father’s promise. As an ideal husband, he stood by Sita Mata through storms both literal and emotional. As an ideal king, he placed his people’s well-being above his own desires. As a devotee of dharma, he never faltered, even when the righteous path demanded painful sacrifice.

It is no wonder that the name “Ram” itself is considered a powerful mantra. In fact, in many traditions, it is believed that chanting “Ram” just once holds more potency than reciting a thousand other names of the Divine.

Historically, Ram Navami has been celebrated for thousands of years in many diverse ways across India and beyond. In Ayodhya, grand processions called Rath Yatras are taken out, featuring idols of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman, accompanied by kirtan and bhajan mandalis. In South India, temples conduct celestial weddings of Ram and Sita – called kalyanotsavam – emphasizing their divine union. In the North, many households and temples complete a parayan (complete reading) of the Ramayana, sometimes even accompanied by dramatic performances known as Ram Leela.

On the ninth day of Navratri, which coincides with Ram Navami, many families also observe Kanya Puja – honoring nine young girls as living manifestations of the Divine Feminine, or Devi. At home, we prepare a traditional prasad of sooji halwa, kala chana, and puri, and offer it to the girls after performing a small puja and washing their feet. It’s a beautiful reminder that strength and purity also reside in the form of the Goddess.

I remember one Ram Navami, during a particularly stressful phase of my life – school pressures were piling up, I was feeling disconnected from my usual rhythm of prayer and introspection, and everything just felt… foggy. But that year, during the Akhand Ramayana, I stayed up late into the night, reading the Ayodhya Kand. As I read the section where Ram, moments before leaving for exile, touches his mother’s feet and assures her with sureness and grace that dharma is never a burden – I felt something shift. It was a message from the Divine: walk with trust, not fear.

That is what Ram Navami does for me each year. It clears away the clutter. It brings me home to myself.

In truth, Ram is not just a figure from a distant yuga – he is a living force. In the hearts of millions, from the ghats of Kashi to the temples of Bali, from the forests of Sri Lanka to the homes of diaspora communities across the world, Bhagwan Ram continues to rule – not by force, but through love, ethics, and inner strength.

As I light the diya today, as verses of Ramcharitmanas once again echo in our home, I bow to Shri Ram – not just as God, but as an eternal guide. May we all strive to live with the same humility, courage, and steadfastness. May Ram Navami bring light to your path, clarity to your mind, and compassion to your heart.

Jai Shri Ram!

Abhimanyu Gupta, a High School Junior is a CoHNA youth volunteer and CYAN Leader. 

(Used with permission from CoHNA. www.cohna.org)

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