Ram Navami
Birth of Shri Rama, observed when Navami prevails at Madhyahna (midday).
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This festival's date rule is applied exactly as documented, but it has not yet passed the platform's Jyotish review (an automated review against the classical texts and published Panchangs). Regional Panchangs may differ; confirm with your family priest or local temple.
- CategoryFestival Major
- DeityShri Rama
- FastingMany observe a fast until midday or through the day.
- Defining tithi / momentShukla Paksha Navami: to
- Lunar monthChaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta)
Timings on Thursday, 15 April 2027
- Madhyahna to 2 h 16 min · 15/04/2027 (Thu)
Rule applied: Smarta — The tithi covers the required time on this day only.
About Ram Navami
Significance
Ram Navami celebrates the birth of Rama, prince of Ayodhya, hero of the Ramayana and the seventh avatara of Vishnu in the common lists. It closes the nine days of Chaitra Navratri, and in many temples and homes it is the culmination of a nine-day recitation of the Ramayana.
The Valmiki Ramayana (Bala Kanda, canto 18) relates that after King Dasharatha’s sacrifice Kausalya bore Rama on the ninth lunar day of Chaitra, under the Punarvasu nakshatra with Cancer rising, and that Bharata, Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born soon after. Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas places the birth at midday, in the Abhijit muhurta, and the midday hour is the focus of the festival.
How and where it is observed
Ram Navami is a gazetted holiday in the Government of India’s list and is kept across the country. Pilgrims gather at Ayodhya to bathe in the Sarayu and visit Rama’s temples; at Bhadrachalam in Telangana the wedding of Sita and Rama (Sita Rama Kalyanam) is celebrated on the day, a custom followed in many South Indian temples. Vaishnava communities, among them ISKCON, keep the day with a fast until evening.
Rituals
At midday an image of the infant Rama is placed in a decorated cradle, rocked to songs and offered aarti, and temple bells mark the hour of birth. Many devotees fast until midday or through the day and read or hear the Ramayana or the Ramcharitmanas. Processions with images of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman are held in many towns, and in South India panakam, spiced buttermilk (neer mor) and kosambari are offered and shared.
How the date is fixed
Ram Navami is Chaitra Shukla Navami, the same month in both reckonings. Since the birth is celebrated at midday, the Navami must prevail at Madhyahna, the third of the five parts of the daytime. If Navami covers part of the Madhyahna on two days, the day with the greater coverage is taken; if on neither, the day on which Navami prevails longest. Some sectarian calendars apply further rules of their own in such years and can differ by a day.
Sources
- Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, canto 18 (the birth of Rama)
- Tulsidas, Ramcharitmanas, Bal Kand (the birth at midday)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Rama Navami
- Government of India (DoPT) list of gazetted holidays
Customs differ between regions, communities and families; this description is background, not a prescription. The date above is calculated by the rule shown on this page.
Puja vidhi
Mantra & Bhakti
How the date is determined
- The date is Chaitra Shukla Paksha Navami; the month name is the same in the Amanta and Purnimanta systems.
- It falls on the day when this tithi prevails during Madhyahna — the third fifth of the daytime, around midday.
- If the tithi prevails at that time on two consecutive days, the day on which it covers more of that period is taken.
- If the tithi does not touch that period on any day (a kshaya tithi), the Hindu day on which the tithi prevails longest is used.
- In a year with an Adhik month of the same name, it is observed in the regular (Nija) month.
Traditional variation
This is the date given by the rule shown above for the selected place. It is not the only valid date: regional Panchangs, family customs and sampradayas may observe it on a different day.
Rule source: Tithi–kaal rule of the Dharmashastra digests (Nirnaya Sindhu / Dharma Sindhu), as applied by modern drik-ganita (computed) Panchangs
Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention. Times are shown for the selected place, time zone and calculation profile.
Calculated with engine 1.4.2 · rules rules-2026-10-21-2ab12b5d · profile north-lahiri-calibrated v1 · ayanamsa lahiri_drik_compat · astronomy-engine@2.1.19 · Asia/Kolkata
Dates in 2026
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26/03/2026 (Thu)
Chaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Navami: to |
|
Standard rule applied |
Dates in 2027
| Date | Defining tithi / moment | Time windows | Decision notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/04/2027 (Thu)
Next
Chaitra Shukla Paksha (same name in Amanta and Purnimanta) |
Shukla Paksha Navami: to |
|
Standard rule applied |