Ram Navami festival being celebrated today

Kathmandu: The Ram Navami festival is celebrated today by worshipping Lord Shri Ramchandra at various shrines across the country.

Shri Ramachandra is believed to have been born on Chaitra Shukla Navami as the son of King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya Devi of Ayodhya in the Treta Yuga.

He is revered as the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu by Hindus. Theologian and Chairperson of the Nepal Calendar Determination and Development Committee, Prof Dr Ramchandra Gautam, says that one of the importance of celebrating Ram Navami festival is an inspiration for a dignified, disciplined and controlled state ruler like Ram.

On this occasion, Ramlila is performed in Janakpur, Nepal, and Ayodhya, India.

Ram Navami celebration at Battisputali (Photo Feature)

Today, men and women from Nepal and India flock to the Ram Janaki temple in Janakpur to celebrate a grand fair organised to mark the occasion. There is also a tradition of fasting, bathing in holy rivers, lakes, and ponds, reciting the Ramayana and worshiping Lord Rama, and singing bhajans all night long.

The president and Vice-President extend best wishes. In a message on the occasion, President Ramchandra Paudel has extended best wishes for happiness, peace, and prosperity to all Nepali sisters and brothers living at home and abroad on the occasion of the Ram Navami festival, 2081.

He has expressed his belief that indigenous festivals like this, which have been in practice for centuries, would further help in preserving our ancient civilization as well as religion and culture.

‘I expect that cultural and historical festivals like Ram Navami will help in further strengthening national unity by deepening the spirit of mutual trust, goodwill, tolerance, and cooperation amidst our diverse ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and geographical characteristics,’ President Paudel has said in his message.

In a similar message, Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav has expressed his belief that the Ram Navami festival will help further strengthen the faith in the ideals, truth, religion, and dignity of Lord Ram. Vice President Yadav has emphasized that this festival should be taken as an opportunity to imbibe the ideals of Lord Ram and take a pledge to work for unity, prosperity, and progress in the country.

‘Ram Navami is not just a festival; it is also an auspicious occasion for us to connect our lives with the ideals of Shri Ram,’ he said, ‘May everyone be inspired to move forward with good deeds and strong determination like Shri Ram.’

Marking the occasion, the federal government has also announced a public holiday across the country today.

RSS