Festival · Rama
Ram Navami
The birth of Rama, kept on the ninth day of Chaitra. He is said to have been born at midday, so worship peaks then.
- Ram Navami 2027
- Thursday 15 April 2027
- New Delhi
For New Delhi, Thursday 15 April 2027
Shukla Navami tithi
- Begins
- 3:24 pm, 14 Apr
- Ends
- 1:21 pm
- Sunrise
- 5:56 am
- Sunset
- 6:47 pm
- Moonrise
- 1:16 pm
- Moonset
- 2:46 am, 16 Apr
Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.
Full panchang for this day →Puja times
For New Delhi, Thursday 15 April 2027
Madhyahna puja
11:04 am to 1:39 pm
- Madhyahna
- 11:04 am to 1:39 pm
- Midday (the birth moment)
- 12:22 pm
- Navami begins
- 3:24 pm, 14 Apr
- Navami ends
- 1:21 pm
Worked out for your city. Panchangs can differ by a minute or so.
How it is kept
Customs vary by region and family
- Fast until midday or through the day
- Read or listen to the Ramayana
- Worship Rama at midday
What it remembers
Ram Navami is the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, the last day of Chaitra Navratri, and the birthday of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya and the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is said to have been born at midday, when the sun stood overhead, so the puja is kept in the Madhyahna, the middle of the day.
The midday puja
A simple Rama puja at home, with the birth marked at midday. Families keep it in many ways; follow your own tradition where it differs.
- Fast from the morning: on fruit and milk, or a full fast until the midday puja, as your family keeps it.
- Set an image or idol of Rama with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman on a clean cloth, and a small cradle if you have one.
- Read or listen to the Ramayana through the morning: the Balakanda for the birth, or the Sundarakanda.
- At midday, the birth moment, bathe the image, dress it in new cloth, and place the infant Rama in the cradle. In many homes a coconut wrapped in cloth stands for the child.
- Offer flowers, tulsi leaves, fruit, and panakam (jaggery water with ginger and cardamom), neer mor (spiced buttermilk) and kosambari (a soaked-lentil salad) in the southern way.
- Sing the Rama aarti and the Hanuman Chalisa, and chant Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram.
- Break the fast after the puja, and share the prasad.
What you need
- An image or idol of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, and a small cradle
- New cloth for the image, flowers and tulsi leaves
- Panakam, neer mor, kosambari, fruit and sweets
- A lamp, incense and camphor
- A Ramayana or Ramcharitmanas to read from
Across India
Ayodhya
The birthplace: a dip in the Sarayu at dawn, the Ram Lalla temple at the centre, and the city full of pilgrims for the midday birth.
Across the north
The last day of Chaitra Navratri; kanya puja for the nine girls, the Ramcharitmanas read through nine days ending today, and Ram Lila in some towns.
Bhadrachalam, Telangana
Sita Rama Kalyanam: the wedding of Rama and Sita performed as a great public ceremony at the temple on the Godavari, with the state’s pearls and silk.
Tamil Nadu and Karnataka
Panakam and neer mor served to all comers at temples and pandals; in Karnataka the Ramanavami music festivals run for weeks.
Odisha and Bengal
Rathayatra of Rama in parts of Odisha; in Bengal the day is kept more quietly, with the Krittibasi Ramayana read at home.
Sita Samahit Sthal and Rameswaram
At Rameswaram, where Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva before crossing to Lanka, the day draws pilgrims to the great Ramanathaswamy temple.
When it falls
Shukla Navami of Chaitra. Kept on the day this tithi holds at midday.
These are the usual rules. A few days can differ by a day in your tradition, so check with your temple.
Ram Navami in the coming years
New Delhi, India time
- 2027Thursday 15 April 2027
- 2028Monday 3 April 2028
Questions
When is Ram Navami in 2027?
Thursday 15 April 2027, in New Delhi. In a few places it can fall a day apart, so the date above is worked out for your city.
When does Ram Navami fall?
Shukla Navami of Chaitra. Kept on the day this tithi holds at midday.
How is Ram Navami kept?
Families fast until midday or through the day, read or listen to the Ramayana and worship Rama at midday. Customs vary by region and family.
Who is honoured on Ram Navami?
Rama. The birth of Rama, kept on the ninth day of Chaitra. He is said to have been born at midday, so worship peaks then.
Why is the puja at midday?
The Ramayana places Rama’s birth at noon, when the sun stood at its height in Punarvasu nakshatra. So the puja, the cradle ceremony and the breaking of the fast are kept in Madhyahna, the middle part of the day, while the Navami tithi holds. The page shows it worked out for your city.
Is Ram Navami part of Navratri?
Yes. It is the ninth and last day of Chaitra Navratri, the spring Navratri, which begins on Ugadi and Gudi Padwa. In the north the nine days are kept for Durga and end with Rama’s birthday.
What is offered on Ram Navami?
In the south, panakam (jaggery water with ginger and cardamom), neer mor (spiced buttermilk) and kosambari, cooling foods for the hot season. In the north, kheer, halwa and fruit, and after the fast a simple satvik meal.