Mumbai: City Temples Gear Up For Grand Ram Navami Celebration; Check Events And Ceremonies Here

Mumbai will celebrate the upcoming Ram Navami, the first after the consecration of the grand temple in Ayodhya, on a bigger scale. Temples have already started programmes that will continue till Ram Navami on April 17, also the last day of Chaitra Navratri, which started with Gudi Padwa on April 9.

Events And Ceremonies At 'Ayodhya of Maharashtra

Many shrines have begun 10-day long events. Shree Ram Mandir in Wadala, famously known as ‘Ayodhya of Maharashtra’ and the city’s most important shrine to the god, started its religious events from Gudi Padwa on April 9 with 'Devata Prarthana'. The temple, which is celebrating the 60th Ram Navami Utsav this year, has announced a series of functions to mark its diamond jubilee. This will include a chariot ceremony, ‘Brahma Rathostav’, on Ram Navami day. Thousands of devotees will pull the chariot carrying the image of the deity. Shrimad Vidyadheesh Teerth Shreepad Vader Swamiji, the 24th Peethadhish of Shri Guru Parampara, will be at the temple between April 13 and 18. Daily programmes include ‘Akhanda Ram-Naam Sankeertan, recitation of Valmiki Ramayan by Vedic scholars and Palkhi Utsav.

ISKCON To Hold Ram Katha Reading

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has been holding Ram Katha readings by spiritual leader Gauranga Das at its Govardhan Ecovillage in Wada in Thane district from April 9. Spanning nine days, the 18 readings from the Ramayana chapters will be attended by thousands of ISKCON followers.

On Ram Navami, ISKCON’s temples in Chowpatty, Juhu, Thane, Mira Road and Kharghar will have Ram 'darbar abhishek', 'shringar', 'aarti' and 'katha'. An ISKCON spokesperson said that nearly one lakh people are expected to visit the organisation’s largest temple in Juhu on Ram Navami.

Various Plans For Chaitra Navratri In Mumbai's Ram Temples

Other Ram temples in the city like Padhye Wadi, Dadar and Goregaon's Ram Mandir also have similar elaborate plans. Chaitra Navratri is distinct from the more famous Sharadiya Navratri, which will be observed between October 3 and 12 in the month of Ashwin during Sharad or autumn. Chaitra Navratri, also called Vasanta Navratri because it occurs in vasant or spring season, is a period to worship the nine incarnations of Shakti.

The last day of the festival, called Navami, when devotees pray to Goddess Siddhidatri, is the day when Lord Ram was born. The period is spent in fasting, prayers and abstinence from meat and alcohol. On the eighth day of the festival, known as 'Ashtami,' young girls, considered incarnations of the goddess, are worshipped in a ritual called 'kanya puja'.