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Lord
Rama
 Every
child in India knows about Shri Rama and His
exemplary rule
is known as Rama Rajya. The first poet of India,
the sage Valmiki, narrates his story in the holy
epic Shri Ramayan and there are hundreds of
versions in different Indian languages. Most of
our bhajana mandirs are Shri Ram Mandirs or Shri
Vithoba Mandirs and these two deities do not
require three pujas a day or sometimes even one
a day. Lord Rama is always worshipped with his
younger brother Lakshman on his right hand side,
Mother Sita on the left-hand side and the most
faithful servant Shri Hanuman at His feet. Shri
Rama’s birthday falls on Chaitra Shudda Navami
popularly known as Shri Rama Navami.
But rarely it is celebrated in GSB Homes.
Quite a few temples celebrate including chariot
festivals. In Mumbai Shri Ram Mandir Wadala has
a nine day long ‘navama’ programme starting
from Gudi padva and ending up with Rama Navami
when the devotees chant non-stop Rama Nama all
the nine days. On Rama Navami day during the
midday an idol of Shri Rama will be kept in
a cradle symbolising Shri Rama’s birth.
All the devotees, at that time would be eager to
rock the cradle as though Shri Rama, just born,
is in the cradle. Really a rare sight to behold!
(See Pic)
Sita
Swayamvar:
In
the armoury of
King Janaka, there was a bow gifted by
Lord Shiva called Shiv
Dhanus. It was huge and heavy requiring great
strength to lift, tie a string and shoot.
Ordinary human beings could not move it and
normally it was lying on a cart of several wheels,
so that it could be moved easily. When Sita was
a young girl, one day she was playing with a
ball and all of a sudden the
ball went inside the armoury and was
lost. She
went in searching for it and whatever was on her
way she just pushed aside looking
for the ball. At last, she came across
the mighty bow and as the ball was not
in sight, she lifted the bow like a plaything
and kept aside
making her way. Janaka was following her
and it was an incredible sight as it required
five thousand
strong men
to lift and keep aside just
as she had done it. Considering Sita not
to be an ordinary mortal, he thought that she
should be married only to a person who could
lift the bow as easily as she did. And at the
Swayamvar Lord Rama did it. He not only lifted
the bow but also broke it while trying to tie
the string and give a twang. |
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