Ram Navami 2023: How Do Apartment Residents Celebrate Ram Navami ?

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Ram Navami is a spring festival having deep importance in the lives of those who worship Lord Rama. The very word Rama conjures up a moral fear about it as Lord Rama was everything about morals and good deeds and requires us to follow suit. It is impossible to be perfect and that too to be as perfect as Lord Rama.

But there lies the problem, Lord Rama does not expect us to follow his footsteps for the reason we already know. But following the steps will not make us perfect at his level, but makes us much better versions of ourselves. So no introspection and contemplation of our previous and future actions is needed as most of the devotees go to temples, and enjoy Ram Navami in many many ways.

Celebrations In Apartments

It is so common for people to want to a mini temple/Pandal like celebrations at home, displaying the same fervor, at this time. Groups of people can be easily gathered in places like apartments where the enthusiasm spills over from one to another till finally it turns into a well-planned celebration at home also leading to some outside celebrations.

Normally people follow certain common rituals on this day. Nine young girls are decked in silk attire are invited home and worshipped, as they are treated as amsha avatars of Durga on this day. Worship of Durga is highly relevant to Ram Navami because Lord Rama captured and killed Ravana, brought back sita due the Durga worship he carried out on the Dashami day, with an intention to kill Ravana.

Some of the apartment residents normally arrange Pooja pandals, bathe and clothe the idol of Rama and then place him in the cradle. Ram Navami is the day of his birth. That is why they commemorate it. Many devotees undertake mass charity on that day as the joy is doubled when shared.

Outside Arrangements For The Festival

The apartment residents also arrange open air drama performance based on Ramayana and its sub stories which is actually known as Ramlila. These depict Lord Rama's life and the heroic fight that happened between him and Ravana. The Ram Lila conducted at Ram Nagar in Varanasi stretches beyond one month. The entire area becomes an altar where several plays including Ram Lila are conducted and at this point, you can see plenty of people going around street to street in search to have a glimpse of all the dance drams going on and return totally transformed into serious devotees of Lord Rama.

Even in temples that are beautifully bedecked on that day, you can find devotees crowding to have a glimpse of the decorations and to participate in the group chant and other festivities. NGOs and religious institutions organize jatras or fairs and meals for the poor. But any way all are his devotees, be it rich or poor and they unanimously spread his name and extol his virtues.

At home and outside, one can enjoy the Rama katha recitals or reading out of stories of Ramayana. Rama japa is held for thousands of people who sit together and remember him through mantras and slokas.Fruit and flower vendors are the lucky beneficiaries here as they earn good p profits at the end of the day. Actually the whole town is strewn with flowers and apartments decorated with flowers and festoons. People mainly visit temples of Rama to pray for their moral and material wellbeing and for peace of mind. Rama stotras are phenomenally famous for bestowing peace.

While some of us prefer to visit temples whereas others pray at home, while some others wish to sing bhajans and keertans and do Aarti, some even fast on this day and follow a particular diet consisting of specialised items. The top most attraction of this festival are the classical music concerts that are held in almost all temples of South India where Classical music is still alive. It goes on for a month and stalwarts from all over attend these festivals, provide vocal or instrumental concerts, paid or free of cost.

These usually happen with such gusto and colour only in small towns and cities whereas to most metros the relevance to culture and music are lost unfortunately. But we must remember the saying " Kalaya thasmai namaha" means " our pranams to kala or Father time" because he really knows where things are going.