ಶ್ರೀ ರಾಮನವಮಿ | Indian Hindu Festival | SRI RAMANAVAMI

**Author - Alee Venkatesh **




MOONGDAL KOSAMBARI & MELON PANAKA


GASAGASE PAYASA





Rama Navami 

 Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of God Rama. He is particularly important to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, as the seventh avatar of God Vishnu. 








The festival celebrates the descent of Vishnu as Sri Rama avatar, through his birth to King Dasharatha and Queen Kausalya in Ayodhya.




In Karnataka, Shri Ramanavami is celebrated by the local Mandalis (organizations) at some places even on footpaths, dispersing free panaka (jaggery and crushed muskmelon juice) and Kosambari (moong dal salad).



Some Hindus mark this day by fasting and consume only palahara (fruits, panaka, kosambari, idli, dosa, Gojju avalakki, payasa etc.,) and no rice is consumed on this special day.



 In Bengaluru, Karnataka, the Sree Ramaseva Mandali, R.C.T (R.) Chamrajpet, organizes India's most prestigious, month-long classical music festival. The uniqueness of this more than 80 years old musical extravaganza is that celebrated Indian classical musicians, irrespective of their religion, from both genres – Carnatic and Hindustani – descend down to offer their musical rendition to Lord Shri Rama and the assembled audience.


The festival is a part of the spring Navratri, and falls on the ninth day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra. This typically occurs in the Gregorian months of March or April every year. 


The Significance of the Festival is indicating the victory of goodness on evil and establishment of the Dharma to beat the Adharma. Ram Navami festival celebration starts with the Jal (water) offering in the early morning to the God Sun (A Deity) to get blessings from him. People also believe that God Sun was an ancestor of Lord Rama.





Rave Unde (semolina Laddu)

The day is marked by Rama Katha recitals, or reading of Rama stories 
including the Hindu sacred epic Ramayana. Some Vaishnava Hindus visit 
a temple, others pray within their home, and some participate in a bhajan 
or kirtan with music as a part of puja and aarti.  
The festival is an occasion for moral reflection for Hindus. 



Sri Rama Navami – a spring Hindu festival celebrating the birthday of God Rama (7th avatar of Lord Vishnu).   

This festival is a part of the spring Navaratri in India which falls on the 9th day of the Shukla Paksha (bright half) in the Hindu calendar month of the Chaitra (typically occurs in the months of March or April every year.  





 
“Ayodhya” is the birthplace of Lord Rama where celebrations are remarkable.  Hindu Devotees visit Ayodhya temple from different places on this day after taking a holy dip into the river “Sarayu” to participate in Lord Rama’s birthday celebrations.


The day is marked by Rama Katha recitals, bhajan, kirtan with music as a part of puja & aarti.  Some Hindus visit a temple, others pray within their home.  It is also celebrated by Hindus in Fiji, and those Fiji Hindus who have re-migrated elsewhere.

Important celebrations on this day take place at Ayodhya (in Utter Pradesh), Bhadrachalam (in Telangana), Kodandarama Temple (in Andhra Pradesh), Rameshwaram (in Tamil Nadu). 





Jaggery Juice -  Powdered Jaggery, lemon juice, ginger powder, pepper powder, cardamom powder combined together with water and served chilled.  

Moong dal Kosambari - washed & soaked moong dal, cucumber, coriander, green chilli, hing, salt, coconut, lemon juice, seasoned mustard seeds combined together and served