Rama Navami
Birthday
of Rama, the Ideal Man
An incarnation of God,
an ideal man, dutiful son and just king:
these are just a few ways to describe
Lord Rama, an exemplar of
honor, reverence, self-control and
duty. He fought battles, became
king, married a Goddess, traveled far
and befriended exotic beings who
were steadfast in their loyalty and
courage. Rama Navami is the celebration
of His birthday, when Hindus honor and
remember Him with
devotional singing, dramatic
performance and non-stop recitation of
His remarkable life story, the Ramayana.
When is Rama’s
birth celebrated?
Rama was born on navami, the ninth
day of the waxing moon, in the Indian
month of Chaitra (late March or
early April). Sometimes the festival is
observed for nine days before or after
navami.
How do Hindus
observe
Rama Navami?
Devotees fast or eat only fruit or
special
food offerings prepared for the day.
They participate in non-stop reading
of the 24,000-verse epic Ramayana, at
home or in a temple. Images or statues
of baby Rama are placed in cradles and
rocked by devotees. Homes resound
with singing. In the evening, crowds
attend Ramalila, in which storytellers
and dance-drama troupes depict the
Ramayana. It is common to
remain
awake the whole night, engaged in
devotional
practices. Devotees contribute
generously to temples and charitable organizations.
They make buttermilk and a
lime drink called panaka, serving them to the
public without charge. Some temples
make
khoa, a sweet made from
thickened milk. This
festival is especially popular in Uttar
Pradesh,
where Rama’s kingdom of Ayodhya is
located.
Is the
festival observed at temples?
Many temples hold grand celebrations on
this
day, especially those with shrines for
Lord
Rama, His wife Sita, His brother
Lakshmana
and His loyal friend Hanuman, Lord of
Monkeys.
Panaka and garlands of the
sacred
tulsi plant are offered as families
pray
for “Rama-Rajya,” a time when dharma
will once again be upheld in the world.
In South India, the day is celebrated
as
the marriage anniversary of Rama and
Sita. A ceremonial wedding is held at
temples with great fanfare.
Why is Rama
so popular?
Rama is one of the ten avatars or
incarnations
of Lord Vishnu. He is revered
as the perfect husband and ruler, who
held duty to king and country above
all else. He held strong to his ideals
in the face of tremendous trials,
including
exile from His kingdom and
separation from His beloved wife,
Sita, herself an embodiment of virtue
and truth. He is honored and glorifi
ed for His unshakable adherence to
dharma, righteousness. The story of
Rama is deeply infl uential and popular
in the societies of the Indian
subcontinent
and across Southeast Asia.
Tidbits About Lord Rama
What is the
story of Rama?
A tale of
love and separation, the Ramayana has moved
the hearts of millions of Hindus over
the ages.
To honor a promise made by his father,
King
Dasaratha, prince Rama abandons His
claim to
the throne and spends 14 years in
exile. Wife
Sita and brother Lakshmana join him in
exile, a
time of perils and tribulations. Sita
is abducted
by Ravana, the monarch of Lanka. After
a long
and arduous search, Rama discovers Sita’s
whereabouts, with the help of Hanuman. A
colossal war ensues against Ravana’s
armies.
In a duel of majestic proportions,
powerful
and magical beings wield mighty
weaponry in
formidable battles. Rama slays Ravana
and liberates
Sita. Having completed His exile, Rama
returns to be crowned king, loved by
one and
all.
Who wrote the
epic?
Some 25 centuries
ago, a sage ordered a thief to sit
under a tree
and chant “ma-ra” until he returned.
Years
passed, and an ant-hill covered the
man, who
had lost himself to the chant. The sage
returned
and broke the anthill, naming the thief
Valmiki, meaning “from an anthill.”
Inspired
by his expanded awareness, Valmiki
immortalized
Rama by composing the Ramayana,
a work unmatched in poetic excellence
and
longevity. Shri Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas in
Hindi and the Kamba Ramayanam by the poet
Kambar in Tamil stand alongside
Valmiki’s epic in Sanskrit.
Who was Sita?
Sita was
a powerful, gifted, beautiful
woman, utterly devoted to her
husband. Found in the fi elds as
a babe by King Janaka, Sita was
raised a princess. She walked
alongside Rama in exile. When
abducted by Ravana, she was
unshakeable in her faith that her
husband would rescue her. She
walked through fi re to prove her
purity. To prevent further slander,
Rama sent her away to the forest.
She patiently bore separation
from her husband a second time
and bore twins named Lav and
Kush. When they were reunited
with their father, she commanded
Mother Earth to swallow her.
The Earth split open and Sita disappeared.
Panakam
Sweet Indian Limeaide
Ingredients
½ cup of jaggery or brown sugar,
4 cups water, juice of one lime,
1½ tsp of grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp
ghee
or oil, a pinch of cardamom powder
Method
Mix ingredients and serve cold.
Spicy
Buttermilk
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk (or yoghurt),
2 cups water, 3 curry leaves, chopped
coriander leaves (cilantro), 1 fi nely
chopped green chilli, 1½ tsp ginger
powder, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 pinch
asafoetida, salt to taste
Method
Heat oil in saucepan and add
mustard seeds; allow it to splutter,
then add curry leaves, ginger, green
chilies and asafoetida, stirring
vigorously. Mix with remaining
ingredients and beat until smooth.
Navaratri
(Dasara)
Dedicating 9 Nights
to the Goddess
Millions of Hindu women consider
Navaratri the year’s central
festival, the one they most deeply
connect to. These nine days
dedicated to Shakti, the Goddess,
provide an opportunity to
seek blessings and commune with their
own divinity. It is a time
for sacred gatherings, austerities,
selfl ess acts and intimate prayers.
But Navaratri is not just for the
ladies; everyone turns out for the
joyous worship, festivities, plays,
feasting and dance—all venerating
God as the loving Mother Spirit that gives life to
everything.
What do
Hindus do for Navaratri?
Navaratri starts on the new moon of
September/October. On the fi rst day,
it
is customary to plant seeds in a clay
pot
which will sprout over the next nine
days.
In some communities, women prepare a
specially decorated kalasha, a vessel symbolizing
the fertile womb, representing
the Goddess. Especially in cities in
Tamil
Nadu, families create elaborate shelf
displays,
called kolu, of handmade clay
dolls.
Adding new dolls each year and handing
the collection down to the next
generation
results in some grand displays.
How is
Navaratri observed in homes?
Each night, the Goddess “holds court,”
and special food offerings are
presented
as prayers eulogizing Her powers are
chanted. Guests are invited to showcase
their artistic skills, and all enjoy
sweets
and other treats. Women dress up and
visit female friends and relatives,
taking
a tray of offerings which includes the
betel leaf and nut that bear the
gravity
of a formal contract of friendship and
accessories, fresh turmeric root and
coconut—
symbolize goodwill and fertility. They
fast, pray morning and evening, and
give food
and cooking pots to the poor. Some
families
formally honor a prepubescent girl each
day,
giving her new clothes, treating her to
a sumptuous
lunch, and pampering her, affi rming
her femininity and affi nity with the
Goddess.
How are
Shakti’s forms worshiped?
In South India the fi rst three days
are dedicated
to Goddess Durga, the fi erce Mother
who decimates
negative forces. For the next three
days, Lakshmi, the Goddess of
prosperity,
is revered. The last three days are
dedicated
to Sarasvati, the Goddess of learning
and wisdom. In this way, Hindus honor
women as the protectors of the family,
extol their powers of fertility and
endurance,
venerate them as the source of good
fortune and revere them as repositories
of
culture and learning. In North India
one
of the nine aspects of Durga is
venerated
each day. These nine days are
celebrated by
communities in East India as Durga
Puja,
treating the Goddess as the Daughter
who
has come to her maternal home for an
annual
visit.
What is the
fi nal day?
Vijaya Dashami, “triumphant tenth day,”
celebrates Durga’s legendary victory
over
Mahishasura, a powerful being fraught
with ignorance and selfi shness. On the
same day many celebrate Rama’s victory
over the evil Ravana. The celebration
is a
reminder to persist in the challenges
we
face in life. Local traditions vary
widely,
and this day is known by other names,
including Dussehra, Dasara and Dashain.
Tidbits About Navaratri
What special
events occur on Maha
Navami, the
ninth day?
Books, musical
instruments, equipment and tools are
placed
before Goddess Sarasvati for blessings,
seeking
Her gifts of talent, ability and
inspiration.
This rite, called Ayudha (weapon or
tool)
Puja, began when the kings of ancient
India
had their weapons blessed. Today any
tool of
one’s trade may be consecrated:
craftsmen’s
tools, books, offi ces, vehicles,
computers,
even iPhones! Devotees refl ect on
their skills, strengths, goals and
needs.
A key rite of passage for children ages
three to fi ve is performed on this
day.
Called vidyarambha, “beginning of
learning,” it marks the start of a
child’s
formal education.
Are there
group festivities?
In the evenings, devotees gather to
dance in halls and public squares.
The Garba, Gujarat’s popular folk
dance, is a vigorous dance performed
in circles while twirling, jumping,
fl ailing the arms, clapping
rhythmically
and stepping in sync. In the
Dandiya-Ras, sticks are part of the
choreography. Dancing is a community
expression of joy and togetherness.
Sundal
This is a high-protein, low-oil dish
made
from steamed or boiled whole chickpeas.
Preparation time: Approx. 1 hour
Serves: 6
Equipment: A pressure cooker, a ladle,
a
wok or saucepan and a dish
Ingredients
1 cup chickpeas, ½ tsp turmeric powder,
3 tbsp to ½ cup grated coconut, 1 tsp
black mustard seeds, broken dried
red chillies (to taste), ½ tsp
asafoetida
powder, sliced green chillies
(optional),
curry leaves, salt
Method
1. Beforehand, soak the chickpeas for
12
hours. Cook with the turmeric powder
and salt in a pressure cooker (1:2
ratio
of beans to water) until soft but fi
rm,
not mushy. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat ghee; add the mustard seeds and
let them pop.
3. Add the curry leaves, chillies and
asafoetida; roast the mixture slightly.
4. Add the cooked chickpeas. Stir
gently
over a low fl ame, taking care not to
mash them.
5. Add grated coconut and salt to taste.
Mix well.
6. Enjoy!
Diwali
(Deepavali)
Celebrating
the Triumph of Goodness
If you rolled a bit of
Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July
all into one, then catered the affair
with mountains of sweets and
savory snacks, you would have a taste
of what it means to celebrate
Diwali, India’s best-known festival. It
is a day of Hindu solidarity, when
all Hindus gather in love and trust. It
is observed by lighting rows of oil
lamps and exchanging greeting cards,
clothing and other gifts. Family
bonds are strengthened and forgiveness
sought. For many, Diwali marks
the beginning of the new year. Joyous festivities
and parties abound.
What occurs
on Diwali?
Diwali (or Deepavali, “row of lights”)
is celebrated
by Hindus worldwide to commemorate
the triumph of good over evil,
knowledge over
ignorance, hope over despair. Oil-wick
lamps
are lit in every household, along with
colorful strings of electric lights, causing
the home, village and community to
sparkle with dancing fl ames. The
festival
falls on the day before the new moon
in the month of Ashwin
(October/November).
Communities spare nothing in
celebration. Lavish spreads of sweets
and
treats refl ect unfettered partying.
Diwali
lehyam—a potent concoction made
with ginger, pepper, ghee and more—is
provided to help gourmands digest the
sumptuous feast. Families reach out to
each other with gifts of sweets, dried
fruit and crunchy, salty treats. Everyone
wears colorful new clothing and many
even new jewelry. Girls and women
decorate their hands with henna
designs.
What does
lamp-lighting signify?
In Hindu culture, light is a powerful metaphor
for knowledge and consciousness. It
is a reminder of the preciousness of
education,
self-inquiry and improvement, which
bring
harmony to the individual, the
community
and between communities. By honoring
light,
we affi rm the fact that from knowing
arises
respect for and acceptance of others.
Lighting
lamps reminds Hindus to keep on the
right
path, to dispel darkness from their
hearts
and minds, and to embrace knowledge and
goodness.
What legends
are associated with Diwali?
In the sacred text Ramayana, Diwali marks
the return of Rama to his kingdom after
defeating
Ravana, the demon king who ruled Sri
Lanka and kidnapped Rama’s pious wife,
Sita.
It also celebrates Krishna’s victory
over Narakasura,
the demon of ignorance. Rama and
Krishna are earthly incarnations, or
avatars, of
Vishnu.
Does ritual
bathing play a part?
Diwali marks the conquest of negative
forces. To wipe away all traces
of life’s struggle, the negative and
draining energies of strife, Hindus
invoke the waters of India’s holiest
rivers—Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari,
Sarasvati, Narmada, Indus and Kaveri—
into water collected in urns in
preparation for an ablution after an
oil massage. The special bath cleanses
the physical and auric energies of the
individual. Fragrant powders of dried
lentils, roots, aromatic seeds, leaves
and fl owers are used to remove the
oil.
Families then don fi ne new clothes,
beautiful patterns are drawn on the
ground, and lamps are lit until entire
streets glow. Even the White House
in Washington, D.C., is illumined by
the gentle glow of oil lamps during its
annual Diwali observances.
Tidbits About Diwali
What else is
done for Diwali?
Melas, or fairs, are held in all Indian
towns and villages. In the countryside,
the mela
includes
a festive
marketplace where farmers bring their
produce to sell and clothing
vendors have a heyday.
Are there customs for the day after Diwali?
The following
day, families offer special prayers to
Lakshmi for a prosperous year. This
ritual worship is also directed to
Kubera, the celestial being who distributes
wealth to mortals. As Hindus pray for
comfort and the family’s
material wealth, it is believed that
things should not be given away or
donated on this one day of the year.
What are the
giant effi gies that are burned by big crowds?
Huge effi gies of Ravana, with ten
heads, are built of straw and fi lled
with fi recrackers. They are burned as
a joyous, symbolic cleansing from
evil, and lights are lit in every home,
just as residents of Ayodhya did to
welcome home their victorious king, Rama
Indian Carrot
Sweet
Carrot Halwa
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Equipment: A small wok
or round-bottomed pan, a
ladle and a serving dish.
Ingredients
4 cups/1 kg grated carrots, 1 cup
sugar,
2½ cups milk, 1½ ladles
ghee, a few cashews and raisins,
2 cardamom pods
Method
1. Wash, peel and grate the carrots.
2. Fry the cashews, raisins and
cardamom in ghee and set aside.
3. Heat a ladle of ghee in the pan. Add
the grated carrots and sauté.
4. Add enough milk to soak the carrots
and cook on low heat, stirring
occasionally, until carrots are soft.
Keep adding milk, a ladle at a time,
and cook until the milk thickens,
then stir in the sugar.
5. Cook over low heat until everything
blends together into a fi rm mass that
separates from the sides of the pan.
6. Garnish with the fried cashews,
cardamom and raisins. Top
with a little ghee and pistachio
slivers for extra fl avor.
Om
Tat Sat
(Continued...)
(My humble salutations to Sadguru Sri Sivaya Subramuniyaswami ji, Hinduism
Today dot com for the collection)
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