Hindus like to celebrate the birthdays of their deities in a grand manner. It is just another way of showing their devotion to them and also a way to invoke their blessings on their special day. As per Hindu mythology, most of these deities took birth on earth or in the celestial realm to destroy evil and save the Universe from the rule of demons. Hence, it becomes all the more important to celebrate their birthdays.
The Preserver Archetype in Hindu mythology, Lord Vishnu, took 10 major incarnations to destroy evil forces and restore Dharma. The seventh of these incarnations was Lord Rama, the son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. His birthday is celebrated as Rama Navami. In some places, it commemorates the wedding of Rama and his consort, Sita, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.
As Rama is a major deity in Hinduism, many temples spread across the length and breadth of India celebrate Rama Navami grandly. Many devotees visit these temples to take part in the celebrations and pray for Rama’s blessings. Rama Navami also coincides with the concluding day of Chaitra Navratri. This is a nine-day festival that celebrates the 9 forms of Goddess Durga. On the 9th day, Durga as Siddhidhatri is worshipped. Devotees perform Kanya Pooja and also worship Rama on this day.
Here are some of the temples which you should visit on Rama Navami.
Kalkaji Temple
This temple, located in the southern part of New Delhi, enshrines Kali, an avatar of Goddess Shakti. Built around 1764 AD, it is a replica of the Vaishno Devi temple. Those who visit this temple can get all their desires fulfilled. Lord Krishna and the Pandavas supposedly worshipped here during Yudhishtra’s reign. Many devotees come here to witness the Ram Navami Pooja on the last day Of Chaitra Navratri
Jhandewalan Mandir
Dedicated to Goddess Durga, the temple was built after a great devotee of the Goddess, a cloth merchant called Badri Das, had a dream in which he saw an idol concealed under the ground at the spot where the temple now stands. Badri Das installed a large prayer flag at the temple, and it came to be called Jhandewala or the ‘place of the flag’. The temple is in Delhi, near Karol Bagh. Aarti is performed on Ram Navami at the temple, and many devotees come to offer prayers on this day.
Akshardham Temple
The architecture of the temple is like that of the Akshardham temple in Gujarat. It is an important landmark in Delhi for many reasons. It made it to the Guinness Book of Records for being the largest Hindu temple complex in the world. The temple has more than 200 murtis or idols, including those of Swaminarayan, Sita-Rama, Lakshmi-Vishnu, Shiva Parvati, etc. Akshardham is based on the premise that every soul is potentially divine. Among the attractions here are a lotus-shaped garden that has bronze sculptures of important Indian personalities and a restaurant modeled on the Ajantha and Ellora caves.
Gauri Shankar Temple
This 800-year old temple is near the Digambar Jain temple on the main Old Delhi road in Chandni Chowk. It is a Shiva temple and has an 800-year old brown Lingam surrounded by silver snakes. A marble representation of a female organ encases the Lingam. A soldier and Shiva devotee named Apa Ganga Dhar built the temple. He built it to express his gratitude after he recovered from a grave injury sustained in battle. Idols of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha, and Kartik are present here. Today, the temple complex has 8 big and 8 small temples. The main deities in the big temples are Shiva-Parvati, Lord Rama, Vishnu, Radhakrishna, Lakshminarayan, Durga, and Hanuman.
Shri Jagannath Mandir
The temple is similar to the Puri Jagannath temple in Orissa. It is located in Hauz Khas. It is much-revered by the Oriya community. Lord Jagannath is the chief deity. One can also see the idols of Lord Balabhadra, Subhadra (sister of Jagannath), and the Sudarshan Chakra here.
Lakshminarayan Temple
Lakshminarayan temple or Birla Mandir in west Connaught Place is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. The renowned industrialist, B. D. Birla, built it in 1939. Built mostly with red sandstone, its walls and pillars sport intricate designs. Artificial caves, cascading waterfalls, animal figures carved from stone, etc., are some of its features. Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the temple on one condition - that people of all castes could worship at the temple.
Hanuman Mandir, Jhandewalan
One can find a 108 ft statue of Lord Hanuman here. It is visible from both Jhandewalan and Karol Bagh metro station. The door at the entrance is carved in the shape of a monster’s mouth. When he served Rama, Hanuman slew many monsters or rakshasas. A passageway leads to the main hall of the temple. Since Hanuman is a great bhakt or devotee of Rama, the festival of Ram Navami is a special occasion at the temple. During the evening aarti, one can see a wondrous sight as the arms of Hanuman that are held across his chest move back and his chest slides open. From his chest emerge the images of Rama and Sita so that devotees get their darshan. In the Ramayana, Hanuman once tore open his chest to reveal that Rama was present within it.
