Ram Navami - The birth of Lord Rama
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| Diya
and incense sticks are lit during prayers |
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Lord
Rama is considered to be the seventh reincarnation of Lord Vishnu,
the creator of the universe.
His
main purpose on earth was to kill Ravana, the evil king of Lanka.
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Links
to other pages for this festival
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Historical
birth of Lord Rama
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The
country of Kosal was situated on the banks of the river Sharayu,
India. Ayodhya
was the capital founded by King Rishi Manu.
During
the reign of King Dasharath, Ayodhya reached a period of great
prosperity.
But Dasharath was faced with a dilemma. He had no heir to
take over his throne.
So
he decided to carry out a sacrifice known as ashvamedh
(meaning horse-sacrifice), performed by the great holy sage,
Rishi Rishyashring.
Involving complex rituals and the reciting of holy mantras,
this sacrifice caught the attention of the Gods - Gandharyas,
Siddhas and Rishis. They
in turn began to pray to Lord Brahma.
During
that time, the people of Lanka (presently known as Sri Lanka,
Southern India), were being subjected to a reign of terror
by their King, Ravana. So
they wanted liberation.
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A
diya is placed in front of the photo before the beginning
of prayer.
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Ravana
had acquired great powers obtained from Lord Brahma.
The
boon was that he would never die at the hands of Gods, Gandharvas,
Vakshas (demigods) or even the common man.
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Angry
by Ravana’s barbaric behaviour, Lord Brahma declared that
he should die at the hands of a man.
So
the Gods went to Lord Vishnu and requested he should be re-born
as a man, (to be named Rama) in the household of King Dasharath.
He
is to be born in four different divinities to the three queens
of King Dasharath.
In
the meantime, whilst Dasharath’s sacrifice was nearing completion,
a shining figure appeared offering the King payasam
(a divine beverage) to be given to his queens Kaushalya, Kaikayi,
and Sumitra.
In
due course, Kaushalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikayi to Bharata
and Sumitra to two sons, Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
The
birth of an heir brought tremendous joy to the people of Ayodhya
and to King Dasharath. |
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Youth
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