Lord Rama

Rama is the seventh avatar of Vishnu, born in the Ikshvaku or Raghu dynasty of Ayodhya, the solar line (Suryavansha). His story is told in the Valmiki Ramayana, traditionally called the adi kavya, the first poem, in seven books (kandas). Scholars date its composition over several centuries in the last millennium BCE, while tradition places Rama in the Treta Yuga.

Rama is called Maryada Purushottam, the best of men who never crosses the bounds of dharma. He is the ideal son who accepts exile without complaint, the ideal brother, husband, friend and king. Yet the tradition does not hide the hard choices of his life, and devotees and poets have reflected on them for centuries.

Over time Rama came to be worshipped as the Supreme Lord. Britannica notes that Tulsidas's 16th-century Awadhi Ramcharitmanas, based on Valmiki, treats him throughout as the supreme god rather than a human hero. Regional Ramayanas, such as Kamban's in Tamil, Krittibas's in Bengali and the Adhyatma Ramayana in Sanskrit, each have their own emphasis, and the story spread across South-east Asia as the Ramakien of Thailand and the Kakawin Ramayana of Java. His names include Raghava and Raghunandan (of the Raghu line), Dasharathi (son of Dasharatha), Siyavar (Sita's husband), Kodandarama (bearer of the bow Kodanda) and Ram Lalla (the child Rama).

Rama is usually shown standing, with a bow and arrows, often with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman as the Rama Darbar or Rama Panchayatana.

Birth and youth. King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, childless for many years, performed a sacrifice for sons. Rama was born to Queen Kaushalya, Bharata to Kaikeyi, and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna to Sumitra. As a youth Rama accompanied the sage Vishvamitra to protect his sacrifices and freed Ahalya from her curse.

The breaking of the bow. At King Janaka's court in Mithila, whoever could string Shiva's great bow would marry Janaka's daughter Sita. Rama not only strung it but broke it, and he and Sita were married.

Exile. On the eve of Rama's coronation, Queen Kaikeyi claimed two boons from Dasharatha: that her son Bharata be crowned and Rama be exiled for fourteen years. To keep his father's word, Rama left at once with Sita and Lakshmana. Bharata refused the throne and ruled only as regent, placing Rama's sandals (paduka) on the throne.

Sita's abduction. In the Dandaka forest, Ravana, king of Lanka, lured Rama away with the golden deer Maricha and carried Sita off. The vulture Jatayu died trying to save her. In their search Rama and Lakshmana were welcomed by the devoted forest woman Shabari, and allied with Sugriva and Hanuman.

The war in Lanka. Hanuman found Sita, the vanaras built a bridge across the sea, and after a great war Rama killed Ravana. Sita proved her purity by passing through fire, and Rama returned to Ayodhya to be crowned, ushering in Ram Rajya.

The Uttara Kanda. The last book tells how Rama, bowing to public doubt, sent Sita away; she gave birth to Lava and Kusha in Valmiki's hermitage and finally returned to the earth, her mother. Many devotees and later poets, including Tulsidas, treat this episode differently or leave it out.

Rama's father is Dasharatha, his mother Kaushalya, and his stepmothers Kaikeyi and Sumitra. His wife Sita, daughter of King Janaka of Mithila, was found as a baby in a ploughed furrow and is considered a form of Lakshmi. His brothers Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna are models of love and loyalty, and his sons Lava and Kusha first sang the Ramayana in his court. His greatest devotee is Hanuman, and his allies include Sugriva, Jambavan and Vibhishana, Ravana's righteous brother whom Rama crowned king of Lanka. Rama has no vahana of his own.

The name of Rama is itself the central practice. 'Ram Ram' is a common greeting in North India, 'Jai Siya Ram' a cry of devotion, and 'Ram naam satya hai' is spoken as the dead are carried to the pyre. The thirteen-syllable mantra 'Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram' is chanted in homes and temples, and the Rama Raksha Stotra of Budha Kaushika is recited for protection. Families hold readings of the Ramcharitmanas, including the 24-hour Akhand Ramayan, and read the Sundarkand on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Offerings to Rama include tulsi leaves, yellow and red flowers, fruits, kheer, panchamrit and sweets. Rama is often worshipped together with Hanuman, so Tuesdays are popular days for Rama-Hanuman puja. The verses below, from the Rama Raksha Stotra, are among the most widely recited.

Rama Navami, Rama's birthday, falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra (March-April) and closes Chaitra Navaratri. Britannica notes that people read the Ramayana or Ramcharitmanas aloud and stage Ramlilas; in Ayodhya devotees bathe in the Sarayu and celebrate his birth at noon. Vivah Panchami, on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami, celebrates the wedding of Rama and Sita, especially in Ayodhya and Janakpur in Nepal.

During Navaratri, Ramlila performances re-enact the story, ending on Dussehra (Vijayadashami) with the burning of effigies of Ravana, Meghanada and Kumbhakarna. UNESCO has listed the Ramlila tradition as an intangible cultural heritage. In much of North India, Diwali is celebrated as the night Ayodhya lit lamps to welcome Rama home, and Bharat Milap recalls the brothers' reunion.

Ayodhya, on the Sarayu river, is one of the seven holy cities (sapta puri). The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple, where the murti of Ram Lalla was consecrated on 22 January 2024, is managed by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust; nearby are Hanumangarhi and Kanak Bhawan. Bhadrachalam in Telangana, associated with the saint-poet Bhakta Ramadas, holds a famous Sita-Rama Kalyanam on Rama Navami. The Ramaswamy temple at Kumbakonam has Ramayana panels on its pillars, the Ram Raja temple at Orchha worships Rama as a reigning king, and the Kalaram temple at Nashik stands at Panchavati, where Rama lived in exile. Chitrakoot, Thriprayar in Kerala and the Janaki temple at Janakpur are also major pilgrim centres, and at Rameswaram Rama is said to have worshipped Shiva before crossing to Lanka.

For Vaishnavas, Rama is Vishnu himself, and many traditions worship him as the supreme Brahman. The Ramanandi sampradaya, traced to the 14th-15th century teacher Ramananda, is today among the largest monastic orders in North India and centres its devotion on Sita-Rama. Sri Vaishnavas in the South revere Rama deeply, and the Alvars sang of him. The Adhyatma Ramayana presents the story in the light of Advaita, with Rama as the all-pervading Self. Saint-poets such as Kabir used 'Ram' as a name for the formless divine, and Tulsidas, Bhakta Ramadas, Tyagaraja and Samarth Ramdas made Rama bhakti part of everyday life.

Rama's teaching is less a doctrine than an example: keep your word, honour your elders, protect the weak, and place dharma above personal comfort. Shaiva traditions honour Rama as a great devotee of Shiva, and in the Ramcharitmanas Shiva himself narrates Rama's story to Parvati. For millions, 'Ram' is simply the name of God.