Sri Rama Navami is the auspicious appearance day of Lord Sri Ramachandra. Sri Ramachandra appeared in the month of Chaitra (March – April), on the ninth day of the growing moon (Chaitra Masa, Shukla Paksha, Navami Tithi) and this particular day is celebrated as Sri Rama Navami every year. This year we celebrate the festival on April 5, 2017.
Sri Ramachandra appeared as the son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who hailed from the dynasty of Maharaja Ikshvaku (also known as Raghu vamsha). Dasharatha had three wives: Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra, but he had no children. On the advice of Maharishi Vashishtha, the king performed a Putra Kameshti Yajna. As a result the three wives conceived sons. Kaushalya gave birth to Rama and Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata. Sumitra gave birth to the twins: Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
The life and activities of Sri Rama are explained in detail by the great sage Valmiki in the epic Ramayana. A summarized version of the Ramayana as narrated by Shukadeva Goswami to Parikshit Maharaja is included in the ninth canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana).
