Ram Navmi

Practice

Ram Navami marks the birthday of Ram, a human incarnation of Vishnu. It is widely celebrated in Ayodhya, Ram's legendary birthplace. In Ayodhya, thousands of pilgrims converge at the Kanaka Bhawan Temple. Colourful processions are held, which comprise brilliant floats of Ram, his wife Sita, Ram's loyal brother Lakshmana and Hanuman, Ram's monkey-general. Plays based on the Ramayana are also enacted. As the sun rises, a coconut is placed in a cradle and at midday (when Ram is said to have been born), a priest announces his birth.

Time:March/April

Place:A minor festival in the South, it is an important occasion in the North.