Celebrated during the spring season of every year, Ram Navami marks the birth of the Hindu deity Rama who is also referred to as the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. As per Hindu calendar, Ram Navami falls on the 9th day of Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra. Devotees end their 9-day-long fast on this auspicious occasion. This year, Ram Navami will be celebrated on 17th April which is a Wednesday. In the honor of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, devotees visit temples and recite verses from the holy Ramayana.
Ram Navami History and Significance
Ram Navami 2024
As mentioned earlier, Ram Navami is celebrated to honor the incarnation of Lord Vishnu’s seventh avatar, Marayada Purshottam Sri Ram. One of the oldest festivals of India, this day is believed to date back to the pre-Christian era. According to legends, Ram Navami was among the few festivals that could be celebrated even by the lower castes. As per Ramayana, the king, Dashratha had three wives; Sumitra, Kausalya, and Kaikeyi. But none of them bore him a son as a successor to his throne. It was on this day in the year 5114 BC that Rama was born as the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu and the eldest son of king Dashratha in Ayodhya, U.P. There is another legend, highlighting this day as the wedding anniversary (Kalyanotsavam) of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita.
Ram Navami Celebrations across India
Ram Navami 2024
This holy Indian festival is celebrated by doing bhajan, kirtan, fasting and reading about Lord Rama’s life. Vaishnava Hindus visit temples whereas others prefer spiritual meets at their homes. Some locations including Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) and Sitamarhi (Bihar) organise rath yatra (chariot processions) to honor this auspicious occasion.
In Karnataka, the birth of Lord Rama is celebrated as Sri Ramanavami during which devotees distribute free panaka (crushed muskmelon juice and jaggery). The Sree Ramaseva Mandali, R.C.T (R.) Chamrajpet organizes a month-long classical music festival celebrating the occasion. Hence, if you are anywhere near Bengaluru, Karnataka then you must not miss this event.
And in case, you are in the eastern parts of India including Odisha, Jharkhand or West Bengal, then you may visit regional Jagannath temples to observe the annual Jagannath Ratha Yatra.
Suggested Read: Deepawali 2024
Best Places to Observe the Celebrations of Ram Navami
Other Festivals in India with Holiday Type
| Festivals in India | Day | Date | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Mon | 01-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Lohri | Sat | 13-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Makar Sankranti | Sun | 14-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Pongal | Mon | 15-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti | Wed | 17-Jan | Restricted Holiday |
| Republic Day | Fri | 26-Jan | Gazetted Holiday |
| Losar | Sat | 10-Feb | Restricted Holiday |
| Basant Panchmi | Wed | 14-Feb | Restricted Holiday |
| Guru Ravidas Jayanti | Sat | 24-Feb | Gazetted Holiday |
| Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti | Wed | 6-Mar | Restricted Holiday |
| Mahashivratri | Fri | 8-Mar | Gazetted Holiday |
| Holi | Mon | 25-March | Gazetted Holiday |
| Good Friday | Fri | 29-Mar | Gazetted Holiday |
| Easter Day | Sun | 31-Mar | Restricted Holiday |
| Gudi Padwa | Tue | 9-Apr | Restricted Holiday |
| Eid-ul-Fitr | Wed | 10-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Vaisakhi (Vishu) | Sat | 13-Apr | Restricted Holiday |
| Rama Navami | Wed | 17-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Mahavir Jayanti | Sun | 21-Apr | Gazetted Holiday |
| Rabindra Jayanti | Wed | 8-May | Restricted Holiday |
| Buddha Purnima (Vesak) | Thu | 23-May | Gazetted Holiday |
| Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid) | Mon | 17-Jun | Restricted Holiday |
| Rath Yatra | Sun | 7-Jul | Gazetted Holiday |
| Muharram (Ashura) | Wed | 17-Jul | Gazetted Holiday |
| Independence Day | Thu | 15-Aug | Gazetted Holiday |
| Parsi New Year’s Day (Nauraz) | Thu | 15-Aug | Public Holiday |
| Raksha Bandhan (Rakhi) | Mon | 19-Aug | Restricted Holiday |
| Janmashtami | Mon | 26-Aug | Restricted Holiday |
| Ganesh Chaturthi | Sat | 7-Sep | Restricted Holiday |
| Onam | Sun | 15-Sep | Restricted Holiday |
| Milad-un-Nabi or Id-e- Milad | Mon | 16-Sep | Gazetted Holiday |
| Gandhi Jayanti | Wed | 02-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Dussehra | Sat | 12-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Valmiki Jayanti | Thu | 17-Oct | Restricted Holiday |
| Karva Chauth | Sun | 20-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Dhanteras | Tue | 29-Oct | Restricted Holiday |
| Kali Puja | Thu | 31-Oct | Gazetted Holiday |
| Halloween Day | Thu | 31-Oct | No Holiday |
| Diwali | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Lakshmi Puja | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Karnataka Rajyotsava | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Kerala Piravi | Fri | 1-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Govardhan Puja | Sat | 2-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Bhai Dooj | Sun | 3-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Chhath Puja | Thu | 7-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Guru Nanak Jayanti | Fri | 15-Nov | Gazetted Holiday |
| Christmas | Wed | 25-Dec | Public Holiday |
