Shree Ram Navami 2023 Holiday (Thursday, 30th March 2023)
Ram Navami is an Indian spring festival that commemorates the birth anniversary of Lord Rama. It is a Hindu religious festival celebrated on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri. On this day, devotees from all over the country travel to Ayodhya to visit the historical Ram temple. This festival is observed in various ways throughout the country. Some keep it simple with Puja and Kirtan, while others stage a grand procession depicting Lord Rama’s life. This blog will take you through the rituals and celebrations of Ram Navami 2023.
| Ram Navami 2023 Date | 30th March 2023 |
| Ram Navami 2023 Day | Thursday |
| Significance | Marks the birth of Lord Rama |
| Also Known as | Sri Ram Navami |
| Time/Muhurat | March 29, 2023 at 9.07 pm |
The Ram Navami 2023 festival will be celebrated across the country on March 30, 2023. This day marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra Navratri festival, as well as the birth of Lord Rama.
The Navami date of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra month begins on March 29, 2023 at 09.07 pm, according to the Panchang. Navami Tithi will come to an end on March 30, 2023 at 11:30 p.m.
| Rama Navami Madhyahna Muhurat | 11:18 AM to 01:46 PM on 30 March 2023 |
| Rama Navami Madhyahna Moment | 12:32 PM on 30 March 2023 |
| Navami Tithi Begins | 09:07 PM on 29 March 2023 |
| Navami Tithi Ends | 11:30 PM on 30 March 2023 |
- The puja begins with meditation in front of Lord Rama’s idol, continued by the recitation of several mantras.
- Upon invoking Lord Rama, five flowers are placed between the palms and a mantra is chanted, after which the flowers are poured in front of Shri Rama’s idol.
- The Lord is then offered water to wash his feet, head, and sip. Following that, he is given honey and milk, followed by water for bathing. He is also offered new clothes, perfume, and flowers.
- Finally, fruits, betel leaf, and dakshina are served after which aarti is performed.
The Ram Navami festival is an important Hindu festival because it commemorates Lord Rama’s birth anniversary, who is Lord Vishnu’s seventh incarnation. Devotees widely believe that Ram Navami is a day to bring divine power into one’s life and to rid oneself of negative energy. On this day, the Ram Katha is recited along with Bhagwad Gita and Ramayana scriptures.
The importance of this festival is that it celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Lord Rama had defeated Adharma and spread Dharma throughout the world by annihilating all Asura, including Ravana. The people of Ayodhya were overjoyed with their new King Rama and began celebrating his birthday every year with great joy and enthusiasm as Ram Navami celebration, which is still traditionally and religiously honored by Hindus all over India.
Ram Navami is the day when Lord Rama was born to King Dasharatha who was known to have three queens: Kaushalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. For a long time, the three queens were unable to have children. The sacred ritual known as “Putrakameshti Yagna” was suggested by a sage, Vasishtha, to King Dashratha. During the ritual, the king served ‘payasam’ to all of his wives in order to fulfill his desire to have a child. As a result, on the ninth day of the Hindu month of Chitra, the king was blessed with a baby boy. Queen Kaushalya bore Lord Rama, while the other queens bore Lakshmana and Bharata. Hence, Ram Navami has been marked as Lord Rama’s birth anniversary as well.
- Ram Navami holiday in India is celebrated by decorating temples and houses, followed by rituals and puja preparations.
- On this day, grand processions are held with people dressed as Lord Rama and other Gods and Goddesses.
- Kirtans are held, the Ramaraksha Stotra is recited, and the Ramayana is narrated. The Lord Rama idol is adorned with beautiful ornaments and swung in the cradle.
- Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
- Sitamarhi, Bihar
- Bhadrachalam, Telangana
- Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu
- Vontimitta, Andhra Pradesh
- Shirdi, Maharashtra
- Rajasthan
- Uttarakhand
- Odisha
- Punjab
- Himachal Pradesh
Here are some ideal locations for you to witness this auspicious festival and make the most of your Ram Navami holiday in 2023:
1. Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu
Lord Ram is said to have begun his journey to Lanka from here in order to defeat Ravana and rescue his wife, Sita. Vanarsena accompanied him and built a ‘Ram Setu’ to get to Lanka. People from all over the country come to the famous Sri KothandaramaSwamy Temple to celebrate Ram Navami in all its splendor.
2. Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Lord Ram’s birthplace Ayodhya inevitably becomes the main attraction during this time of the year. From decorating houses to organizing fairs and chariot processions, Ayodhya residents go all out to make the festival spectacular. If you visit Ayodhya during this spiritual festival, you will witness events like Ram Leela, satsangs at every household, and so on.
3. Sitamarhi, Bihar
Sitamarhi is as popular as Ayodhya because it is the birthplace of the goddess Sita. Hindu pilgrims congregate around the famous Janaki Mandir to complete the puja rituals and celebrate the Ram Navami festival. Every year, the beautiful decoration of the mandir and a special fair draw a large number of devotees to Sitamarhi.
4. Bhadrachalam, Telangana
This is another popular location where you can make the most of your Ram Navami Holiday in 2023 and see something unique. This nine-day spring festival culminates with Navami, which coincides with Lord Ram and Goddess Sita’s wedding. The Sita Ramachandra Swamy Temple is very popular there, and it is where the wedding ceremony takes place. To participate in the Ram Navami celebrations, you must go to this location on the banks of the Godavari River.
Apart from these, Vontimitta, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, Shirdi, a popular place in Maharashtra, etc., are equally popular destinations to visit for witnessing the grand celebrations of Ram Navami.
Here is a tabular representation of all the dates for the upcoming years starting from 2023, on which Ram Navami will be celebrated:
| Year | Date |
| 2024 | April 17 |
| 2025 | April 6 |
| 2026 | March 27 |
| 2027 | April 15 |
| 2028 | April 4 |
Final Word
Now you must have an idea regarding how it all started and why thousands of Hindu pilgrims congregate around temples to celebrate Ram Navami 2023. Plan in advance and make sure to have adequate time on your hands to witness the grandeur associated with this festival during your Ram Navami Holiday in 2023.
FAQs
Most of the devotees consider fasting a major part of this spring festival. There are different types of fasts that you can take part in, such as fasting until midnight, fasting until noon, or eating a single meal on that day. Even though it is not mandatory to take part in this ritual, some believe that it brings prosperity and eminence.
Ram Navami is also popularly known as Vaishnava as there is a Hindu belief associated with it. Hindu devotees consider Lord Ram as Lord Vishnu’s avatar, and that is why Vaishnava is celebrated by worshipping Lord Vishnu in all his forms.
In the Southern part of India, people celebrate the Ram Navami festival for 9 days. In Andhra Pradesh, besides performing all the similar kinds of rituals, people also conduct the wedding of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita at temples.
Ramcharitmanas is curated by Tulsidas and based on the famous Sanskrit Ramayana, written by Valmiki. In Mandirs and puja ghars, people generally chant the entire book for 24 hours and eulogise the virtues of Lord Ram.
Ram Navami is a festival celebrated by the Hindus in India, to mark the birth of Lord Rama the son of King Dasharatha.
Ramdas Athawale has stated that on Ram Navami, non-vegetarian food should be avoided.
In India, Rama Navami is an optional holiday for government employees. The Hindu calendar is lunisolar, but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar.
The festival commemorates Vishnu’s birth as the Rama avatar in Ayodhya, Kosala, to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya. This festival falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of Chaitra, the first month in the Hindu calendar.
No, Ram Navami is not a national holiday.
Disclaimer
This article is solely for educational purposes. Navi doesn't take any responsibility for the information or claims made in the blog.
