Ram Nawami
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Ram was a king of Ayodhya in ancient India. In Hinduism, he is considered to be the seventh Avatar of Vishnu and a lila-avatara described in Bhagavata Purana. Lord Ram is one of the most popular figures and deities in Vaisnavism and its religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia. The majority of details concerning Ram come from the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India. Born as the eldest son of Kaushalya and Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, Ram is referred to within Hinduism as Maryada Purushottam, literally the Perfect Man of Lord of Restrictions. Ram is the husband of Sita, who Hindus consider to be an Avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.
The Ram Nawami Festival honours the birthday of Lord Ram (March/April) and is celebrated in great style throughout Nepal. The Janaki mandir of Janakpur Temple is alive from 4am until late at night. Janakpur lies in the south-eastern part of Nepal.
In the elaborately decorated temple vedic rituals and havans (special offerings and mantras to a sacred fire) are performed and leaflets relating to Lord Ram are distributed. Discourses on his life and teachings are delivered and loud processions march through the streets. Devotees chant sacred mantras, read excerpts of the famous Hindu epic the Ramayana, greet each other with “Sri Ram” or “Jai Ram ji ko” and consume only fruit and milk for nine days. It is the time for Hindus to saturate themselves with the gentle and virtuous spirit of Lord Ram.
A sunrise puja (traditional Hindu prayers and offerings) is planned at the temple around the idol of Lord Ram. As Hindu texts depict his birth at exactly 12 noon, the height of celebrations occurs at midday. In the evening the temple hosts a performance of the Ramayana, sung to traditional Indian classical music.
The Ram Mandir, a pagoda-style temple built in 1882, is located south-east of the Janaki Mandir. On Ram Nawami this temple gets thousands of visitors.
For the devotees of Kathmandu and other part of the Nepal there are number of Ram Mandir located in different locations.
Excerpt from eKantipur – April 12, 2011
“Ram Nawami, the birthday celebration of Shree Ram – a divine figure in Hinduism, is being observed throughout the country with full religious devotion and gaiety on Tuesday. The festival falls on the ninth day of waxing moon in the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar.
Hindu devotees celebrate this festival by observing fast, singing devotional songs and offering prayers in their homes and nearby temples.
Thousands of devotees, including from India, have flocked to Janakpurdham to offer their prayers at the Ram Janaki Temple in Dhanusha district to mark the festival. Ancient Janakpur was the birthplace of Sita, the better half of Lord Ram.
Devotees have organised special religious functions and bhajan (hymns) sessions.
The government has declared today a public holiday to mark the festival.”
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