Ramnavmi

Ramnavmi is one of the most important festivals of Bihar. During Ramnavmi, Bihar is agog with the enthusiasm of the common people.

Ramnavmi celebrates the birth of Lord Rama. Ramnavmi commemorates the birth of Lord Rama on the ninth day of of the first fortnight of Chaitra.

In Bihar, Ramnavmi starts with the morning ablutions, chanting of the mantras and hymns and offering flowers and fruits to the deity. In many places of Bihar, we can find public gatherings called 'sat sangs' where a preacher preaches about the teachings of Lord Rama. At the gathering, excerpts from Ramacharitamanas are recited and people from all castes and creed sit together to listen to these recitations.

Moreover, Ramnavmi is a major festival of the Vaishnavas, a cult following Lord Vishnu. Therefore, they observe fast on this day in the name of the deity. Many devotee survive on fruits for nine days, starting from Ugadi to Ramnavmi.

During Ramnavmi, the people of Bihar perform elaborate pujas and chant the name of Lord Rama. The temples in Bihar also have special services during this festival.

Another significant aspect of Ramnavmi in Bihar is 'Ramayana parayana'. This is a discourse on the Ramayana by a pundit or a professional story-teller, who could liven the whole story through his recitation. The event, generally, lasts for nine days from Ugadi to Ramnavmi.

In fact, in many places in Bihar, we can also come across a number of fairs organized on different venues.

Thus, as it is evident, Ramnavmi is celebrated by the people of Bihar with a lot of pomp and show!