Ram Navami 2027: Date, Rituals and How India Celebrates

Ram Navami 2027 falls on Thursday, 15 April. It marks the birth of Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, and closes the nine days of Chaitra Navratri that begin on 7 April 2027.

The birth is placed at midday, which is why the main puja is done in the Madhyahna window rather than at sunrise. In most households this is a fasting day that ends with the noon aarti.

Ram Navami 2027 date and muhurat

What	When (2027)	Note
Ram Navami	Thursday, 15 April 2027	Chaitra Shukla Navami
Madhyahna puja window	Around midday	The traditional hour of Rama's birth. Check a city panchang for exact minutes
Chaitra Navratri begins	Wednesday, 7 April 2027	Ghatasthapana, also Gudi Padwa and Ugadi
Durga Ashtami	Wednesday, 14 April 2027	Kanya Pujan, also Baisakhi and Vishu

Muhurat timings shift by city because they depend on local sunrise. Confirm the Madhyahna window for your location rather than using a Delhi figure everywhere.

Why Ram Navami is celebrated

King Dasharatha of Ayodhya had three queens and no heir. On the advice of the sage Rishyasringa he performed the Putrakameshti yagna, and a divine being emerged from the fire with a vessel of payasam to be shared among the queens. Kaushalya bore Rama, Kaikeyi bore Bharata, and Sumitra bore the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.

Rama was born on Chaitra Shukla Navami, at noon, under the Punarvasu nakshatra with Cataract in the ascendant, according to the Valmiki Ramayana. He is worshipped as Maryada Purushottam, the ideal man who kept his word at the cost of everything else, and the festival is as much about that idea as about the birth itself.

Ram Navami puja vidhi

1.      Bathe early and clean the puja space. Many people take a ritual bath before sunrise.

2.      Set up an image or idol of Rama with Sita, Lakshmana and Hanuman, and place a small cradle if your family keeps that custom.

3.      Offer tulsi leaves, yellow flowers and fruit. Tulsi is essential for any Vishnu avatar.

4.      Recite the Ramcharitmanas, the Ram Raksha Stotra, or the Sundar Kanda. Many families begin an akhand paath on Navratri day one that finishes on Navami.

5.      Perform the main puja and aarti during the Madhyahna window, at the hour of the birth.

6.      Offer panakam, a jaggery and cardamom drink, along with kosambari and neer mor in South Indian homes. Panjiri and kheer are the North Indian equivalent.

7.      Break the fast after the noon aarti, distribute prasad, and give food or clothing in charity if you can.

Fasting on Ram Navami

The fast follows the same rules as the rest of Chaitra Navratri. Grains, onion, garlic and common salt are avoided, and sendha namak is used instead. Fruit, milk, curd, sabudana, kuttu and samak rice are permitted.

Some people keep a nirjala fast, without water, until the noon puja. In April heat that is genuinely hard, and it is not advisable if you have any medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication with food. A phalahar fast with fruit and water is equally valid and far safer.

How Ram Navami is celebrated across India

Where	How
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh	The centre of the festival. Lakhs of pilgrims take a dip in the Sarayu and visit the Ram Janmabhoomi temple. Expect very heavy crowds and traffic restrictions across the town.
Bhadrachalam, Telangana	Sita Rama Kalyanam, the ceremonial wedding of Rama and Sita, is performed at the Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy temple and draws crowds from across the Telugu states.
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu	Processions and a ritual bath in the sea, at the point associated with Rama's crossing to Lanka.
Sitamarhi, Bihar	Believed to be Sita's birthplace, so the day carries particular weight there.
Maharashtra	Ram Navami kirtans and a cradle ceremony at temples, with Rama's idol placed in a jhula. Nashik and the Panchavati area, linked to the Ramayana, hold large celebrations.
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh	Panakam, kosambari and neer mor distributed free at temples and roadside stalls through the day.
Odisha and West Bengal	Processions and readings, with Ram Navami observed as a public holiday in several states.

What to cook for Ram Navami

•       Panakam, jaggery water with cardamom, dry ginger and lemon. The signature offering in South India, and a genuinely good drink for April heat.

•       Kosambari, a soaked moong dal salad with cucumber and coconut.

•       Neer mor, spiced buttermilk with curry leaves and ginger.

•       Sooji halwa and panjiri, the North Indian prasad.

•       Kheer, especially made with samak rice for those fasting.

•       Sabudana khichdi and kuttu puri, the standard vrat meal.

Frequently asked questions about Ram Navami 2027

Q. When is Ram Navami in 2027?

A. Thursday, 15 April 2027, on Chaitra Shukla Navami.

Q. What time is the Ram Navami puja done?

A. In the Madhyahna window around midday, because Rama is believed to have been born at noon. The exact minutes depend on local sunrise, so check a panchang for your city.

Q. Is Ram Navami a public holiday?

A. It is a gazetted holiday in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. It is a restricted holiday elsewhere, so check your state list.

Q. What is offered as prasad on Ram Navami?

A. Panakam, kosambari and neer mor in the south, and panjiri, sooji halwa and kheer in the north. Tulsi leaves and yellow flowers go with the puja itself.

Q. What is the connection between Ram Navami and Navratri?

A. Ram Navami is the ninth and final day of Chaitra Navratri, which is why the spring Navratri is sometimes called Rama Navratri.

Q. Should I keep a nirjala fast on Ram Navami?

A. Only if you are confident it is safe for you. A phalahar fast with fruit, milk and water is equally traditional, and in April heat it is the more sensible option for most people.

Q. Which scriptures are read on Ram Navami?

A. The Ramcharitmanas by Tulsidas, the Ram Raksha Stotra, and the Sundar Kanda. Some families run a nine day akhand paath ending on Navami.