Rama marriage/Rama Navami

Why do we celebrate Rama Marriage at Sri Rama Navami?

The festival of Ram Navami holds a lot of significance in the life of Hindus.

The history marks the day of Ram Navami to be the birth occasion of Lord Sri Rama. The occasion of Sri Ram Navami or also known as Chaitra Navmi is not the birthday as popularly told but is the appearance day of Lord Ram. But at the same time, they also believe in celebrating the marriage ceremony of Lord Sri Rama and Mata Sita as a part of the rituals during the auspicious days.

Rama marriage/Rama Navami

Ram Navami is known to be a huge festival for the Hindus in Ayodhya, Janakpuri, Sitamarhi which are the parts of UP, Bihar and also some areas of MP. The festival of Ram Navmi or Chaitra Navmi marks of the arrival of Lord Sri Ram at Ayodhya, UP which is also called as his appearance day.

Hindu scriptures tell us that God cannot take birth as a normal human being. Add in records neither did Sri Ram and even not Sri Krishna took birth from the womb of a woman. God is said to be omnipotent and had occurred in front of Mata Kaushalya with four arms with his actual Ayudha. Further, after appearing in four arms in the Vishnu incarnation he later carried the look of a small infant and performed the divine Lila. The occasion of Ram Navmi / Chaitra Navmi is even today a very significant festival in portions of Bihar and in Jharkhand. There is a mela or a great festival arranged which goes on for about a month once a year. The festival is enjoyed with enthusiasm and happiness. There are big parades with horses, camels and elephants that are conducted. Also, chariots spread and move across the main city to its final destination to commemorate the appearance day of Lord Ram.

Rituals Practiced

Shree Rama

On this important day, the worshipers also hold one day-long fast which begins in the morning and ends the next day at sunrise. They worship Lord Rama and attend or recite the Ramayana or Nama Ramayanam my conducting the wedding ceremony of Lord Rama and Mata Sita and some perform the Rama Navami ceremony as an important ritual.

Followers from certain areas of the country also coordinate bhajans and hymns for the Navratri for 9 long days. During this time some worshipers observe a fast that is very strict. They do not even consume water in it. also, there are lesser strict fasts that are observed by the other devotees. It is a huge and massive celebration where people from all over the world come and to attend the grand celebration. Worshiping Rama at this hour removes evil powers and brings positivity is believed.

The Wedding ceremony of Lord Shri Rama

The Day of marriage which is Vivah Panchmi is the day when Mata Sita and Lord Sri Ram’s marriage tradition is enjoyed and celebrates even today each year in Janakpur in Bihar which is the appearance location of Mata Sita. On the occasion of Vivah Panchami, Mata Sita, the Aadi Shakti and Lord Sri Ram the Lord were united and this day is observed as their wedding anniversary of the supreme lords each year.

The occasion of Vivah Panchami is a prominent Hindu celebration that proclaims the marriage of Lord Rama and Mata Sita. As the name suggests it is commemorated on the Panchami that is the 5th day of Shukla Paksha which is the waxing phase of the moon in the holy month of Margashirsha according to the Hindu calendar that they follow.

The Hindu religion considers this day is to be very favourable as it signifies the proper wedding anniversary of the supreme Lord Sri Rama and Mata Sita. It is a very popular celebration in Janakpur in Sita marhi and Madhubani in Bihar. It is commemorated for about 15 days before the day and also after the wedding is performed.

The festivals of Vivah Panchami are very significant in Lord Sri Rama temples that are not only in Bihar and UP but is a very popular celebration in several parts of India as a country. It holds a lot of prominence in Mithlanchal province now which is in Bihar. Adi Shakti Mata Sita is popular and the greatly significant deity and like the household member now there as their daughter, sister and Badi Did of nearly all Mithi local community. This day also holds enormous importance at Janakpur, in Nepal as it was believed that the ritual had also taken place there. The travellers from several states of India and also abroad come to witness this huge festival of Vivah Panchami.

The festival of Vivah Panchami is commemorated with enormous fervour in Ayodhya and the manifestation place of Lord Shri Ram. All the temples I of Lord Shri Ram are well lit up with bright lamps or diyas on this auspicious day. The festivities include the execution of this holy marriage exhibition. In the day time, a huge parade departs from one temple to the other and demises with the grand wedding ceremony Lord Shri Ram and Mata Sirs in the evening time.

The whole exhibition is known as the Ram Vivah Utsav by all. Throughout the entire day, devotional hymns in praise of Lord Sri Rama are vocalized by his devotees and worshippers. Further apart from the celebrations at the temples, numerous stage events and traditional acts are also overseen in this event. The Ramleela is a stage act that illustrates the life of Lord Rama and Devi Sita and is also seen in many regions of the country. People from all across the world come to India and these states to take part in these festivities.

Particularly at Janakpur, these festivities are identified with tremendous hype. Unique ceremonies and pujas are witnessed in the temples.

The festival continues for a duration of seven days and followers celebrate and do all the traditions with tremendous devotion and faith. In one of the ceremonies, the followers also take a sacred bath on the day of Vivah Panchami in the waters in Mithilanchal – Dhanushsagar, Gangasagar and Argaza lakes.

Different ceremonies and pujas are held across the temples comprising the Dashrath, Janki and Ram temple. All the seven days the joy and happiness in the devotees are clearly notices.

The city of Janakpur is an extremely religious and ancient city in Nepal and presently it is popular because of Mata Sita manifestation. The appearance place of Mata Sita is exactly on Bihar -Nepal Border which is the Sita marhi. Though Bihar and Nepal constantly claim their land to be the place of Sita marhi. Many Indians attend this appearance place of Mata Sita each year to attend the celebration of Vivah Panchami during the time of Rama Navami. The festival of Rama Navami is observed as the birth or appearance day of Lord Rama and also the ceremony of the wedding of Shri Rama and his wife Mata Sita is prominently observed as a ritual on that day.

Therefore, the festival of Ram Navami is also celebrated as the marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and is prominently practiced as an important ritual in the Hindu religion and across states of the country.