Rama Navami

[Guest guest]

Though a little late, I would like to share with all the celebrations of

Rama Navami in the Chicago Temple. Chicago, is blessed with two

excellent temples. One with Rama, Sita and Lakshmana as the main deity

and the other has Venkateshwara Swami as the deity.

 

The celebrations for the Rama Navami were mainly done on 19th April.

This being a Saturday. Unfortunately, we could not go very early in the

morning, but from what I have seen the last year, I can say that the

celebrations started at 10 in the morning. Going through the most

important phases of Sri Rama. Rama Janana, Sita- Rama Kalyanam (we

made it by this time), then Rama pattabhishekam. These were performed

with immense devotion. One of the local families sponsored the anna daanam.

 

Shri U Srinivas was scheduled for a Mandolin recital, but he could

not make it. Another gentleman Ravi Kiran gave a Chitra Veena

COncert, marking the celebration of Sri Rama Navami.

 

The Other temple(ramalayam) on the other hand started the Akhanda Ramayana

Parayanam, this was very exhilerating, because this is one of the traditions

in my house that was and is practiced as IO was growing up. Not to go off

on a tangent, but as we were growing up, my dad and all of us would site and

read the Akhanda Ramayana while my mom would make the traditional Rama navami

dishes (Vada pappu and panakam). This tratdition I carry now with my

husband as a support. Going back to the temple.. We sat through it completely

till the morning of the 20th when the akhanda bhogam was done. During

this time, I got the opportunity to read the Ramayanam as well. This was

a great experience, since during our drive back to Milwaukee on Sunday,

we were neither sleepy nor tired(such is the Lord's Maya). The

only thing we could talk about was the Ramayana and also we sang the

main doha sung after every caupai(stanza). "Mangal Bhavan Amangal

Hari, Dravau so Dasharath Ajir Bihari". The sad part is, though I read the

ramayana I am still not clear on the meanings of each of the dohas.

 

This is how Rama Navami was celebrated at our end of the town. Following

this I would like to ask people like Sri V. Sadagopan, Sri Bharadwaj,

to please take time out of their busy schedules to explain the meaning of

the most prominent dohas of Ramayana.

 

I am positive, a lot of us will benefit from it. I am 100% sure that I will

benefit from it. I hope that the scholars of this group will take sometime

and explain the dohas. Maybe by next Rama Navami, we can have a small

booklet with the meanings.

 

Thanks

Manjula Sriram

&

N. Sriram