Jamshedpur: It was a different Ram Navami this year too. Like in the past, the city witnessed devotional songs on Hanuman and Lord Rama but celebration remained indoors.
All the 169 akharas in the city kept the Ram Navami puja limited to their areas. No martial arts, no procession and no music. They have decided to take the procession with utmost simplicity on Wednesday.
The procession or the procession that comprises members of several akhara who carry traditional weapons for the grand show but the akhara members decided to carry the flag or the idols in their respective cars directly to the river.
“We just performed the puja on Tuesday. We did not allow people from the neighbours too. Today there was no procession and we took the idols and the religious flags directly to the river,” said a member of the akhara committee.
Amidst lockdown too with an aim to ensure peaceful Ramnavmi the East Singhbhum administration has made elaborate arrangements. The administration deployed adequate policemen to prevent any untoward incident. Several sensitive areas have been identified.
“In view of lockdown we have asked the akhara committees to avoid procession and perform pujas in houses,” said R B Singh, senior functionary of Central Peace Committee.
Ram Navami, celebrated on the ninth day of the Chaitra month, is considered to be an auspicious festival in the Hindu calendar. It marks the end of the spring festival of Chaitra Navratri or Vasanta Navratri and is believed to be the birthday of Lord Rama.
According to Hindu mythology, Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He was born in the royal family of Ayodhya.
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh), Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), Bhadrachalam (Telangana) and Sitamarhi (Bihar), places that find mention in the Ramayana, usually celebrate Ram Navami with much fanfare.
Legend has it that Dashratha, the king of Ayodhya, had three wives Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra but no children of his own. Rishi Vasistha suggested that the king perform a yagna for an heir.
After the yagna, the king was blessed with four sons. While Rama was born to Kausalya, Kaikeyi became the mother to Bharat, while Sumitra gave birth to two sons Laxman and Shatrughna.
People recite verses from holy scriptures like Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita on Ram Navami. Devotees observe a fast on the day and head to temples dedicated to Lord Rama to pay their obeisance.