About Ram Navami
Ram Navami celebrates the birth of Lord Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, on Chaitra Shukla Navami. According to the Ramayana, Rama was born in Ayodhya to King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya, and his birth is traditionally placed at midday under the Punarvasu nakshatra. Many devotees therefore hold the main puja in the madhyahna period, when a small image of the infant Rama is placed in a cradle and gently rocked.
Rama is remembered as Maryada Purushottam, the ideal of truthfulness, duty and compassion, and his story with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman remains part of everyday life across India. On this day temples recite the Ramcharitmanas or Valmiki Ramayana, and processions carry images of Rama through the streets. Ayodhya welcomes pilgrims who bathe in the Sarayu. In parts of South India, especially at Bhadrachalam in Telangana, the day is celebrated as the Sita Rama Kalyanam, the divine wedding. The festival also marks the close of Chaitra Navratri, and many end their nine-day fast on Navami.
How it is observed
- Performing Rama puja in the midday period and rocking a cradle for the infant Rama
- Reading or listening to the Ramcharitmanas or Valmiki Ramayana
- Keeping a fast and offering panakam, kosambari or simple prasad
- Joining temple bhajans, kirtans and processions
- Concluding Chaitra Navratri with Kanya Pujan in some families
Ram Navami dates in past and coming years
| Year | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wednesday, 17 April 2024 | Past |
| 2025 | Sunday, 6 April 2025 | Past |
| 2026 | Thursday, 26 March 2026 | Past |
| 2027 | Thursday, 15 April 2027 | Next |
| 2028 | Monday, 3 April 2028 | Upcoming |
| 2029 | Sunday, 22 April 2029 | Upcoming |
| 2030 | Friday, 12 April 2030 | Upcoming |
Dates are calculated from the Panchang for New Delhi. Some regions may observe a day earlier or later.
Across India
Celebrated across India
The same season is marked in many ways. Where a region keeps the festival on a different day, its calculated date is shown.
Uttar Pradesh (Ayodhya)
Ram Navami
Pilgrims bathe in the Saryu and crowd the Ram temple to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama at the hour of his birth, followed by bhajans and kirtans.
Telangana (Bhadrachalam)
Sita Rama Kalyanam
At Bhadrachalam the wedding of Sita and Rama is performed with great devotion, and the state traditionally offers pearls and silk clothes.
Karnataka
Rama Navami
Homes and temples offer panaka (jaggery drink) and kosambari, and Bengaluru hosts long classical music festivals in honour of Rama.
Tamil Nadu
Sri Rama Navami
Devotees sing Rama bhajans and recite the Ramayana, offering panakam, neer mor (spiced buttermilk) and sundal.
Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal
Ram Navami
Large processions with saffron flags move through towns, and the Mahavir Mandir in Patna sees huge crowds.
In South India the day is often celebrated as Sita Rama Kalyanam; some communities observe festivities over nine days.
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