Viswanathan KA

 

The nine-day Sri Ramanavami festival and Vasantha Navarathri  has begun at  two temples in Matunga. The 70 year old Shri Sankara mattham  began the ceremony with Maha ganapathy homam , Go pooja , and Rama moola mantra japam followed by Sri Vidya homam,Suvasini pooja and Srimadh Valmiki Ramayana Moola Parayanam.

 

Besides this there will daily homam for  different stars beginning with Atharvaseersha Maha ganapathy homam and Santhana Gopala homam. There  will also be other  homams like Lakshmi Kubera Mantra homam,Lakshmi Narasimha homam,Dhanvantri homam etc.

 

In another nine decade old Asthika Samaj , the nine day Garbhotsavam of Lord Sree Ramachandra has begun today with various daily homams and in the evening  there will be Upanyasam series on Sri Valmiki Ramayanam by Sengalipuram Sri B.Damodara deekshithar. 

 

The functions in both temples will end on Ramnavami day on April 8. Another temple at Matunga  Sri Bhajana Samaj will begin the  celebration on April 8 and will conclude after nine days. This arrangement  between the  temples  is  for the convenience of the devotees. 

 

Another prominent Shree Ram Mandir  at Wadala,  a 60 year old  GSB Temple  belonging to Shri Gokarn Math ,Ramnavami  is celebrating  from Gudi padwa day .On all the nine days, round the clock, without any break, there will be a chanting of “Shri Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram”, by devotees. On the last day thousands of ,devotees pull the Brahma-Ratha (chariot) of  the idol Sri Rama with his consort  Sita and go around the streets in procession.

 

The festival  Rama Navami commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign. Ramrajya (the reign of Rama) has become synonymous with a period of peace and prosperity. It is celebrated with great devotion across the nation and every region has its own regional significance behind the celebration. The public worship starts with morning ablutions, chanting Vedic mantras  and offering flowers and fruit to the god.