Rama

=== Festivals ===

====Rama Navami====
[[Rama Navami]] is a spring festival that celebrates the birthday of Rama. The festival is a part of the spring [[Navratri]], and falls on the ninth day of the bright half of [[Chaitra]] month in the traditional [[Hindu calendar]]. This typically occurs in the Gregorian months of March or April every year.{{Sfn|James G. Lochtefeld|2002|p=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/562 562]}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=City News, Indian City Headlines, Latest City News, Metro City News |url=https://indianexpress.com/section/cities/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407143924/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=175953 |archive-date=7 April 2009 |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref>

The day is marked by recital of Rama legends in temples, or reading of Rama stories at home. Some Vaishnava Hindus visit a temple, others pray within their home, and some participate in a [[bhajan]] or [[kirtan]] with music as a part of [[Puja (Hinduism)|puja]] and [[aarti]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121104195645/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-04-02/mysore/28056195_1_ramanavami-music-festival-temples-devotees Ramnavami]</ref> The community organises charitable events and volunteer meals. The festival is an occasion for moral reflection for many Hindus.<ref name="bbc">{{Cite web |title=BBC – Religions – Hinduism: Rama Navami |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/rama.shtml |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=[[BBC News]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=25 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725153056/http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/hinduism/holydays/rama.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="bp">{{cite web |date=8 April 2014 |title=President and PM greet people as India observes Ram Navami today |url=http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/president-and-pm-greet-people-as-india-observes-ram-navami-today/ |access-date=8 April 2014 |work=IANS |publisher=news.biharprabha.com |archive-date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140409001520/http://news.biharprabha.com/2014/04/president-and-pm-greet-people-as-india-observes-ram-navami-today/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some mark this day by [[vrata]] (fasting) or a visit to a river for a dip.<ref name="bbc" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=National Portal of India |url=https://www.india.gov.in/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=[[Govt. of India]] |archive-date=14 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314045800/http://india.gov.in/govt/loksabhampbiodata.php?mpcode=4282 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="dna8apr2014">{{Cite web |last=John |first=Josephine |date=8 April 2014 |title=Hindus around the world celebrate Ram Navami today |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-hindus-around-the-world-celebrate-ram-navami-today-1976344 |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=[[Zee News|DNA India]] |language=en |archive-date=25 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225011544/https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-hindus-around-the-world-celebrate-ram-navami-today-1976344 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The important celebrations on this day take place at [[Ayodhya]], [[Sitamarhi]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sitamarhi {{!}} India |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Sitamarhi |access-date=8 March 2021 |website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]] |language=en |quote=A large Ramanavami fair, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama, is held in spring with considerable trade in pottery, spices, brass ware, and cotton cloth. A cattle fair held in Sitamarhi is the largest in Bihar state. The town is sacred as the birthplace of the goddess Sita (also called Janaki), the wife of Rama. |archive-date=27 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427100105/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/546790/Sitamarhi |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Janakpur]] ([[Nepal]]), [[Bhadrachalam]], [[Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta]] and [[Rameswaram]]. Rathayatras, the chariot processions, also known as ''Shobha yatras'' of Rama, Sita, his brother [[Lakshmana]] and [[Hanuman]], are taken out at several places.<ref name="bbc" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Latest News, India News, Breaking News, Today's News Headlines Online |url=https://indianexpress.com/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407015100/http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie/daily/19990325/ige25105.html |archive-date=7 April 2009 |access-date=8 March 2021 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=City News, Indian City Headlines, Latest City News, Metro City News |url=https://indianexpress.com/section/cities/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090407143929/http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=47910 |archive-date=7 April 2009 |access-date=8 March 2021 |website=[[The Indian Express]] |language=en}}</ref> In Ayodhya, many take a dip in the sacred river [[Sarayu River (Ayodhya)|Sarayu]] and then visit the Rama temple.<ref name="dna8apr2014" />

Rama Navami day also marks the end of the nine-day spring festival celebrated in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh called [[Vasanthotsavam|''Vasanthothsavam'']] (Festival of Spring), that starts with [[Ugadi]]. Some highlights of this day are ''Kalyanam'' (ceremonial wedding performed by temple priests) at [[Bhadrachalam]] on the banks of the river [[Godavari]] in [[Bhadradri Kothagudem district|Bhadradri Kothagudem]] district of [[Telangana]], preparing and sharing ''Panakam'' which is a sweet drink prepared with jaggery and pepper, a procession and Rama temple decorations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Satpathy |first=Kriti Saraswat |date=14 April 2016 |title=Did you know these rituals of Ram Navami celebration in Karnataka? |url=https://www.india.com/travel/articles/did-you-know-these-rituals-of-ram-navami-celebration-in-karnataka-3234872/ |access-date=6 March 2021 |website=India News, Breaking News {{!}} India.com |language=en |archive-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112131440/https://www.india.com/travel/articles/did-you-know-these-rituals-of-ram-navami-celebration-in-karnataka-3234872/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Ramlila and Dussehra====
[[File:Ramlila artists.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|In Northern, Central and Western states of India, the Ramlila play is enacted during Navratri by rural artists (above).]]
Rama's life is remembered and celebrated every year with dramatic plays and fireworks in autumn. This is called [[Ramlila]], and the play follows the ''[[Ramayana]]'' or more commonly the ''[[Ramcharitmanas]]''.{{sfn|James G. Lochtefeld|2002|p=389}} It is observed through thousands<ref name="SchechnerHess51" /> of Rama-related performance arts and dance events, that are staged during the festival of [[Navratri]] in [[India]].{{sfn|Encyclopedia Britannica|2015}} After the enactment of the legendary war between Good and Evil, the Ramlila celebrations climax in the [[Dussehra]] (Dasara, Vijayadashami) night festivities where the giant grotesque effigies of Evil such as of demon Ravana are burnt, typically with fireworks.<ref name="unescodussehra" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Kasbekar |first=Asha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Sv7Uk0UcdM8C&q=Jatra+bengal&pg=PA44 |title=Pop Culture India!: Media, Arts, and Lifestyle |date=2006 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-85109-636-7 |language=en |access-date=8 March 2021 |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131062704/https://books.google.com/books?id=Sv7Uk0UcdM8C&q=Jatra+bengal&pg=PA44 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Ramlila festivities were declared by UNESCO as one of the "Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity" in 2008. Ramlila is particularly notable in historically important Hindu cities of [[Ayodhya]], [[Varanasi]], [[Vrindavan]], [[Almora]], [[Satna]] and [[Madhubani district|Madhubani]] – cities in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.<ref name="unescodussehra" />{{sfn|James G. Lochtefeld|2002|pp=561–562}} The epic and its dramatic play migrated into southeast Asia in the 1st millennium CE, and ''Ramayana'' based ''Ramlila'' is a part of performance arts culture of Indonesia, particularly the Hindu society of [[Bali]], [[Myanmar]], [[Cambodia]] and [[Thailand]].<ref>{{cite book |author=Bose |first=Mandakranta |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2Ar2Qfr-UeQC |title=The Ramayana Revisited |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-19-516832-7 |pages=342–350}}</ref>

====Diwali====
In some parts of India, Rama's return to Ayodhya and his coronation is the main reason for celebrating [[Diwali]], also known as the ''Festival of Lights''.{{Sfn|Gupta|1991|p=fontcover}}

In [[Guyana]], Diwali is marked as a special occasion and celebrated with a lot of fanfare. It is observed as a national holiday in this part of the world and some ministers of the Government also take part in the celebrations publicly. Just like Vijayadashmi, Diwali is celebrated by different communities across India to commemorate different events in addition to Rama's return to Ayodhya. For example, many communities celebrate one day of Diwali to celebrate the Victory of Krishna over the demon [[Narakasur]].{{Refn|As per another popular tradition, in the Dvapara Yuga period, [[Krishna]], an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]], killed the demon [[Narakasura]], who was the evil king of Pragjyotishapura, near present-day Assam and released 16000 girls held captive by [[Narakasura]]. Diwali was celebrated as a sign of the triumph of good over evil after Krishna's Victory over Narakasura. The day before [[Diwali]] is remembered as Naraka Chaturdasi, the day on which Narakasura was killed by Krishna.{{Sfn|Richman|1991|p=107}}|group=lower-greek}}