INDIA: The Ram Navami, the birthday of the Hindu god Lord Ram, the seventh avatar of the deity Vishnu, was celebrated with traditional fervour, rituals, and enthusiasm across the country, including Maharashtra, on Thursday.
Ram Navami is celebrated as a mark of the descent of Vishnu as the Rama avatar, through his birth to King Dasharath and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh). It falls on the Navami Tithi of Shukla Paksha in Chaitra month. The devotees celebrate this day by organising bhajans and kirtans and reading “Ramcharitmanas.”
Ram Navami holds great significance among Hindus as Shri Ramchandra took human birth on this auspicious day.
Lord Rama is believed to be an ideal human being and a symbol of truth, righteousness, bravery, and courage. Ram Navami marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra Navratri celebrations.
Maharashtra
A large crowd of devotees was seen at Nashik’s historic Kalaram Temple in Panchvati. Lord Ram’s birthday was celebrated with rituals at noon, while the chants of “Jai Shri Ram” filled the air.
Nashik Guardian Minister Dada Bhuse and others participated in the puja. At the famous Saibaba shrine at Shirdi in Ahmednagar, a huge chariot procession was organised on the occasion.
Mumbai
In Mumbai, at the Ram Temple at Wadala in Central Mumbai, known as Ayodhya of Maharashtra, prayers were offered, and a huge procession carrying an idol of Ram in a palanquin was taken out in the Wadala area.
In the neighbouring Cotton Green area, the festival turned out to be a huge event, and devotees by the thousands flocked to the scene.
The venue at Ram Temple, located at Tejpal Scheme Vile Parle East in North West Mumbai, was jam-packed with devotees.
A huge chariot procession was organised in which the effigies of “Bhaldar” and “Chopdar,” symbolising the guards of Lord Ram, were paraded. This temple, popularly known as “Madrasi Ram Mandir,” was set up in 1935 by Laxminarayan Maharaj.
Ayodhya
In Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, thousands of devotees took a holy dip in the Sharyu river and offered prayers. A makeshift mandir and construction site at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi were gaily decorated. On the occasion, a “Run for Ramlalla,” “Half Marathon,” and cycling event were organised.
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