A spring festival of Hindus, Ram Navami is celebrated to mark the birthday of Lord Rama, who is considered the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. The festival falls on the ninth day of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu calendar month of Chaitra, which typically falls in the Gregorian months of March or April every year.

Wooden chowki

A piece of new yellow cloth

An idol or photo frame of Lord Rama

Water in a kalash

Turmeric

Sandalwood stick

Kumkum

Uncooked Rice or Akshat

Flowers

Tulsi leaves

Fruits

Kalava

A janeu (sacred thread)

A coconut

Paan and supari

Diya or brass lamp

Oil or ghee and cotton wicks

Incense sticks

Camphor

For Panchamrit: Banana, ghee, curd, honey and raw milk

Begin the puja by offering your salutations to Lord Ganesha.

Invoke Lord Ganesha and then begin Shri Rama’s puja.

Start the rituals by doing a Dhyanam (meditation).

Seek Lord Rama’s blessings and request him to accept your humble offerings.

After Dhyanam, do Avahanam. Pray to Lord Rama with folded hands and then respectfully place the photo frame or idol of Lord Rama on a wooden platform covered with a yellow. This ritual is called Asanam.

Light an oil or ghee lamp.

Follow this by doing Padya. Offer water to the deity’s feet. Subsequently, offer Arghya. Then offer kalava or a piece of fresh cloth, janeu, haldi, chandan, kumkum, flowers, Tulsi leaves and Panchamrit. Chant the Vishnu Sahasranamam. Then offer the incense sticks and the Tamboolam (consisting of coconut with its husk, paan, supari, fruits, bananas and dakshina).

Then perform the aarti to conclude the puja.