The festival of Ram Navami, which symbolises the birth of Lord Rama, is being celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety across the country.

The Rama Navami festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar. It is also known as Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of the nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.

It is believed that Maryada Purshotam Lord Ram is the 7th incarnation of the Dashavatara of Vishnu. Years later Lord Rama was married to Sita on the Vivaha Panchami.

During the time of his birth, the astral constellations were such that a phenomenal force could take a body. And a similar astral constellation returns on this date, making it the time of a very powerful vortex of energy for all those who choose to benefit from it.

To the devotees, Lord Ram is a symbolic representation of the positivity in creation and took birth to restore order within the entire creation.

Today, large number of devotees have gathered at the places associated with Lord Rama, including Ayodhya, Chitrakoot and Bhubaneswar on the occasion to offer their worship to Lord Ram. Also, at temples, special havan (yajna) are organized, along with chanting of Vedic mantras and offerings of fruits and flowers. Many Hindus mark this day by Vrata (fasting) through the day followed by feasting in the evening, or at the culmination of celebrations.

Main function was organised at Kanak Bhawan at Ayodhya at 12 noon. There is a general belief in Hindu mythology that Lord Ram was donpato at this time on Chaitra Navmi at Ayodhya.