What is Sita Navami? 

Sita Navami is a very promising, favorable, and auspicious festival enjoyed by the Hindus. Like all other Hindu festivals celebrated in India, Sita Navami is also celebrated on a different day each year, in the year 2020, it was on 2nd May. In the year 2021 Sita Navami is on 21st May. Sita Navami is furthermore known as Janaki Navami. Sita Navami drops on the Navami Tithi (9th day) during the Shukla Paksha on the lunar month of Vaishaka (according to the Hindu Calendar Vaishaka is the second month and as per the Gregorian Calendar it is April and May.) 

Why Sita Navami is celebrated? 

As we all know that Devi Sita is a very beautiful, well-known, and important person in Ramayana (a Hindu epic that is filled with life lessons such as affection, courage, devotion). She is considered as the child of the earth (Dharti Maa/Bhudevi). Devi Sita is the Goddess of Sacrifice, Purity, Love, and Simplicity. (Literal meaning of word Sita- Furrow)

Sita Navami celebrates the birth anniversary of Sita Maa. Devi Sita is the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth & prosperity), Goddess Lakshmi is the wife of Lord Vishnu and Devi Sita is the wife of Lord Rama, who is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sita Navami falls exactly one month after Ram Navami. Ram Navami, 2021 was on 21st April. Devi Sita is the daughter of King Janaka (Videha) and her adoptive mother was Sunayana.

Birth of Devi Sita:- 

Kingdom Videha was going through a terrible drought and Rishi Muni at that time told that the land would only flourish if King Janaka himself plow the field for the betterment and inprovement of the people & for better yield, Devi Sita was found in a furrow in the field during the process of Ploughing by the Maharaja. As King Janaka didn't have any child, he announced Devi Sita as his daughter and hence Devi Sita is also remembered as Vaidehi. 

Devi Sita's Marriage:-

When Devi Sita was just a small little girl, Lord Parshuram saw Devi Sita playing, picking and able to string the Pinaka (bow of Lord Shiva) and then lord Parshuram recommended King Janaka to wed Devi Sita with a person who can hold up the Shiva Dhanusha when she gets bigger. When the time arrived, King Janaka composed a Svayamvara (a process in ancient India where a girl at a marriageable age picks her husband from the group of suitors.) With the condition as the lord Parshuram advised. A lot of Prince & kings came by and tried to pick the Bow of Lord Shiva but failed. Lord  Rama was the only one to pick the bow up but also string it. And hence meeting the conditions, Devi Sita was married to Lord Rama.

How is Sita Navami celebrated? 

On this encouraging day, All the married women observe an all-day-long fast for their husband's long life and they worship Devi Sita and Lord Rama by offering flowers and  dhoop Puja and celebration are held at the temples of Lord Rama and Sita Maa. As Devi Sita is the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi, it is considered that if one worships Devi Sita then one will worship goddess Lakshmi as well and she will bless the person with love and wealth! Getting up early (before sunrise) on this day and taking bath for observing a fast is considered auspicious. One should recite or hear Sita Navami Vrat Katha during their fast. Devotees should perform aartis and pujas on this day.

 Ram Navami 

First of all, HAPPY RAM NAVAMI!!! 

Ram Navami is an incredibly auspicious, encouraging, and spring Hindu festival celebrated in India, as all different festivals are celebrated in India. Ram Navami is also celebrated on different dates every year! So, in 2021 Ram Navami is on 21st April. Ram Navami falls on the ninth day of Chaitra Navratri in Shukla Paksha (Moon phase in April) 

The explanation: Why Ram Navami is celebrated?

As we all know that Lord Rama is the very prominent and important person of the Ramayana. Lord Rama is not only spoken of and remembered in the Hindu scripts but moreover in Jain and Buddhist Scripts. 

Ram Navami celebrates the birth of Lord Rama in Ayodhya. Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of the Lord Vishnu (God of Protection). Lord Rama occurred as the son of King Dasharath and Queen Kaushalya in the Raghu Kula (in Tretha Tug). 

Vratha Katha:- 

The story of Ram Navami is also named the Vratha Katha. 

It depicts how King Dashratha and his three queens - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi, and Sumitra conducted the Putra Kamesti Yagna under the guidance of Rishi Vashishth when neither of King Dashratha’s wives was able to put up with him an heir. After the yagna, the three queens were given Payasam (kheer), which was blessed and adored by Yajna (Lord of Yagna). The queens developed soon after they ate Payasam (kheer) and on the ninth day of Chaitra month, Queen Kaushalya gave birth to Lord Rama. Queen Sumitra gave birth to Lakshaman and Queen Kaikeyi: Bharat and Shatrughan. 

But, Lord Rama had to step back as the lawful and rightful successor of Ayodhya due to the promise made by king Dasaratha to his third wife Kaikeyi as she protected him in past and hence the king provided her opportunity to consult him for anything she wanted for, but Kaikeyi explained that she will ask him a wish once it's the moment and when they were to decide on the heir of Ayodhya, Kaikeyi told the king to make Bharat the heir of Ayodhya and told Lord Rama should be taken into exile in the forest for fourteen years. Lord Rama abandoned the throne and went into the woodland with Sita and Lakshmana. But Bharata, shocked and disgusted with Kaikeyi’s boon, denied to take the throne, left Ayodhya, and went in search of Lord Rama into a forest. Lord Rama declined to return and urged Bharata to rule Ayodhya wisely. Bharata accepted that but, he will rule only as Lord Rama's representative for the following fourteen years. However, Lord Rama ruled the kingdom once he arrived from 14 years of exile and became a precious, loved, and valuable ruler.

How is Ram Navami celebrated? 

As Lord Rama was born in the afternoon hence, it is the most promising and favorable time to conduct Navami Puja. 

During this time, unique and special pujas and yagyas are conducted at temples all over India. Supporters also observe a fast on this day (from sunrise to sunset). Celebrations are attached in many parts of the country. The city is adorned and illuminated with lights and devotees visit the temple with donations. The tradition or ritual of Kanya Pujan is performed where nine girls are invited home and cared for with tremendous appreciation, and respect supposing them as the manifestation of 9 Indian goddesses who is worshipped in Chaitra Navratri. Numerous societies take to charity as a way of spreading the happiness, joy, and pleasure of the event. followers pray for unity and peace,  prosperity, and success and pursue spiritual blessings from Lord Rama. The elements essential for the puja are roli, aipun, rice, water, flowers, a bell, and a conch. After that, the youthful or youngest female member of the home applies teeka to all the members of the family. Everyone participates in the puja by first splashing the water, roll, and aipun on the Gods, and then showering handfuls of rice on the deities. Then everybody raises to conduct the aarti, at the end of which Ganga Jal or plain water is sprinkled over the group. The singing of bhajans goes on for the entire puja. Eventually, the prasad is allotted among all the people who have assembled for idolization.

Current affair:- 

                                                ~ जय श्री राम