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An ornate bow and arrow and a flower-decked cradle in warm temple light for Ram Navami

Ram Navami

Lord Rama

Upcoming
Thu, 15 Apr 2027
in 313 days
Major festival Jayanti
🔗 The same night is also observed as Swaminarayan Jayanti →
Ram Navami 2027 falls on Thursday, 15 April 2027. It marks the birth of Lord Rama, traditionally placed at midday (madhyahna), so the main puja is done around noon — {{muhurat.pujaTime}} this year. The festival lands on the ninth bright-half day (Navami) of the lunar month of Chaitra, which is why the Gregorian date shifts each year, usually between late March and mid-April.

When it falls

The date shifts because it tracks the moon, not the Gregorian calendar.

2024 Apr 17
Wed
2025 Apr 6
Sun
2026 Mar 26
Thu
2027 Apr 15
Thu
2028 Apr 3
Mon
2029 Apr 23
Mon

Calculated for India (IST) using precise Panchang astronomy. Dates can shift by a day at locations far to the east or west.

Significance & story

Ram Navami marks the birth of Rama, the prince of Ayodhya whom the Hindu tradition counts among the avatars of Vishnu. He is born on the ninth bright-half day (Navami) of Chaitra, the first month of the lunar year, and the tradition places the moment of his birth at midday — which is why the festival's puja is timed to noon rather than dawn or dusk.

Rama's life is told in the Ramayana: the exile of fourteen years, the abduction of his wife Sita, the long campaign to recover her, and the eventual return to Ayodhya. What the festival honours is less the story than the conduct — Rama is remembered as maryada purushottam, the man who held to duty and his given word even when it cost him. The day is an occasion to revisit that example, not only to mark a birth.

Ram Navami also closes the spring Navratri. The nine nights of Chaitra Navratri build toward this ninth day, so for many households the fast that began at the start of the festival is broken on Navami after the midday worship.

Rituals & observance

How Ram Navami is kept:

  • The central rite is the midday puja, timed to madhyahna — the middle portion of the day — because that is when Rama is said to have been born.
  • Many keep a day-long fast, often the last of the nine Navratri fasts, broken after the noon worship.
  • Households and temples hold readings from the Ramayana, especially the Bala Kanda passage describing Rama's birth; a small cradle for the infant Rama is sometimes set out and rocked at midday.
  • The Ram Raksha Stotra and chanting of Rama's name are common through the day.
  • Temples to Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman hold special darshan; in some places a procession (shobha yatra) carries the deities through the streets.

Regional variations

Maharashtra
Ram Navami comes nine days after Gudi Padwa, the Maharashtrian new year that opens Chaitra, and many temples carry the celebration through from Padwa to Navami with continuous Ramayana recitals.
Ayodhya & the north
Ayodhya, held as Rama's birthplace, sees large gatherings and a fair (mela) along the Sarayu river, with the midday birth observed at temples across the city.
How this date is determined

Observed on the Navami tithi of Chaitra (Shukla paksha), reckoned by midday (madhyahna).

Dates are computed to astronomical precision (NASA/JPL ephemeris), in line with traditional panchang.

Frequently asked

What date is Ram Navami in 2027?
Ram Navami 2027 is on Thursday, 15 April 2027 in India.
Why does the date of Ram Navami change every year?
It follows the Hindu lunar calendar, falling on the ninth bright-half day (Navami) of the month of Chaitra. Because lunar months don't line up with the Gregorian year, the date drifts each year, usually between late March and mid-April.
What time should the Ram Navami puja be done?
During madhyahna — the midday window — since the tradition places Rama's birth at noon. This year that falls around {{muhurat.pujaTime}}.
How is Ram Navami connected to Navratri?
It is the ninth and final day of Chaitra Navratri, the spring Navratri. The nine nights lead up to it, and many people break their Navratri fast after the Ram Navami puja.
Is Ram Navami the same as Rama's return to Ayodhya?
No. Ram Navami marks his birth. His return to Ayodhya after exile is remembered separately and is one of the stories associated with Diwali; his victory over Ravana is marked at Dussehra.

Related festivals

Swaminarayan Jayanti
Mar 27

Plan around it

Panchang Choghadiya muhurat Festival calendar Your Kundli