Unique Attributes : Ideal son, Ideal King,
morality, virtue, honesty, love for all, sacrifice.
Other Names : Ramachandra Ji, Sri Ram, Maryada Purushottam.
Consort : Sita Ji
Primary Scripture : Ramayana, Ram Charitmanas
Parents : Dahratha and Kaushalya
Mula Mantra : Om Sri Ramaye Namah
Lord Ram for ages has been the symbol of virtue and chivalry and the
most preached God among the Hindus. He is the most famous incarnation of
Lord Sri Vishnu. Lord Ram is said to have taken birth on this earth in
human form to obliterate the evil forces from here. It is believed that
Sri Rama took birth in the kingdom of Kosala in Ayodhya to King
Dashratha and his Queen Kaushalya. An ideal son and king, a man of
virtues and morals he is popularly referred to as 'Maryada Puroshottam'
literally meaning the perfect man. Lord Rama throughout his life stuck
to Dharma to perform any action despite the many hardships as a result
of this he had to face.
Ramayana of Sage Valmiki and Ram Charitmanas of Tulsidas are the two
principal texts from where we get all the information about Lord Sri
Ram. Religious heads believe that Rama lived in the Treta Yuga; his
worship was all the more popularized with the writing of
Ramacharitmanas. In common parlance among the Hindus when people address
each other they simply utter Ram! Ram! In the Ramayana the Lord is
portrayed as fighting the evil Ravana of Lanka who abducted his wife
Sita. The righteous Lord in the Great War defeats Ravana and frees the
people of Lanka with the unjust rule of their king.
The most devoted follower of Lord Rama is Sri Hanuman Ji who is always
shown in the picture of Lord Sri Ram, Laxman and Sita. Ram Navami is
celebrated every year on ninth day of Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami.
It is celebrated to mark the birth and marriage of Sri Ram to Sita. The
most popular of Hindu festivals Dusshera and Diwali are associated with
Lord Sri Rama. Dusshera is celebrated as the day the Lord exterminated
the evil demon Ravana and Diwali marks the return of Prabhu Sri Ram to
Ayodhya after an exile of fourteen years. Ayodhya, Ujjain and
Rameshwaram are considered the prime places of pilgrimage by the
followers of Sri Ram. The manifestation of love, devotedness and
sacrifice, Lord Ram is deeply embedded in every Hindu heart.