The most noble man. The most righteous man. The 'maryada purusha' or the ideal man. These are the perceptions of Lord Rama, even after 3000 years have gone by, in millions of hearts who worship his form and recite his name day after day, every day of their lives.

In just a few days, the 9-day festivities to celebrate the birth of Lord Rama will commence all over the country. 'Ram Navami' - as the festivities are popularly known - will be celebrated with great ardor and enthusiastic fervor with public readings of the 'Ramacharitmanas' - the poet Tulsidas' popular version of the Ramayana, enactments of scenes from the Ramayana epic, and 'kirtans' and 'satsangs' where hymns in praise of Lord Rama's virtues will be sung by his devotees.

This year, indiayogi joins in the celebrations of Ram Navami with all devotees of Sri Rama. To help you get into a pious and joyous mood, listen to the 8-CD set of the Tulsi Ramayan by Anuradha Paudwal, Jai Siya Ram sung by Jagjit Singh or the Sacred Chants of Rama by Craig Pruess and Pt. Vishwa Prakash - all artistes of international repute. Light some incense and meditate on the image of Sri Rama, Sita, Laxmana and Hanuman embossed with gold foil in an attractive picture frame. You can also focus on the solitary image of Sri Rama or one in which He is shown with Sita, Laxmana and Hanuman on full-color posters. We also bring you brass replicas of the wooden 'Padukas' or 'Sandals' left by Sri Rama in Ayodhya, as the two guardians of his kingdom, when he went into voluntary exile for 14 years in the forests of India. You can place these 'padukas' inside or near your place of worship and, by touching them to your forehead every day, pay your homage to God manifested in the form of 'the ideal man' - Sri Rama.

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Some time around 800 BC, there ruled in the land of Kosala, the noble King Dasratha. His kingdom prospered and the people were happy under his rule. Yet Dasratha himself was not a happy man because years had passed and none of his four queens had given him an heir. The sages and seers of his court finally prevailed upon him to perform an elaborate 'Yagya' or sacrificial prayer and offerings to Brahma - the creator of the universe, who if pleased, would surely grant him the boon of an heir. Everyone in the capital city of Ayodhya added their prayers to those of their King.

Around this time, the tyrant King Ravana of Lanka was terrorizing the neighboring kingdoms and also his own subjects. He had also threatened to dethrone the gods. Although a tyrant, Ravana was a very learned man who through the power of yagyas and mantras had obtained a boon from Brahma himself. Because of this boon, he could never be defeated or meet his death at the hands of any god, gandharava, yaksha or a demon. While asking this boon, Ravana in his vainglory, forgot to include similar protection against a mortal man.

The gods, terrified of the growing power of Ravana, rushed to Lord Vishnu to beseech him to heed the prayers of King Dasratha, and come as a savior of humanity by incarnating himself as an 'avtaar' and taking birth in the wombs of the three queens of King Dasratha. When the great Yagya was completed, a figure bathed in light appeared to hover over the 'kund' or pit in which the sacrificial fire was blazing. It held out a vessel containing a divine potion towards Dasratha and asked him to give it to his three queens to drink. In due course of time, his chief queen Kausalaya gave birth to Rama, Kaikayi gave birth to Bharat and Sumitra gave birth to Laxmana and Shatrugana.

Rama, believed to be born at noon on the ninth day in the month of Chaitra (April) was the eldest, embodying 'ardha ounsh' or a half-degree of Vishnu's divinity. Dasratha was so overjoyed with the birth of Rama, and his other sons, that he proclaimed celebrations on a lavish scale all across his kingdom and especially in his capital city of Ayodhya. Ever since then, the people of this country as well as the peoples of Indonesia, Thailand, and Java-Sumatra, where Lord Rama is worshipped to this day, celebrate the birth of Rama every year with great devotion, pomp and pageantry.

What makes Rama, the most important incarnation or 'avtaar' of Lord Sri Vishnu… the most idealized? To read more about the story and ideals of Rama, click here.