Ram Navami is one such festival that is celebrated throughout India and as the name ‘Navami’ suggests, it’s a nine day festival. It marks the birth of Lord Rama who took birth to vanquish the demon king Ravana at the behest of the Devas. There are countless temples dedicated toLord Rama throughout the world but there are a few that really stand out. One of those magnificent structures is the RaghunathTemple located in the heart of the Jammu city in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

1. Celebrate India - Ram Navami
If you travel long enough and far enough in India you will eventually come to realize like I have
that our culture and heritage is so intertwined and influenced by our history and especially
mythology that it becomes difficult to figure out where one starts and the other ends. The
complexity is compounded by the fact that we have millions of gods and goddesses and they in
turn have hundreds of millions of stories which permeate through our collective consciousness
as Indians, even today. We don’t even have to strain ourselves even a little bit
to find the truth in this statement, all we have to do is look at all the
festivals we celebrate round the year. There are hardly any that
lack a mythological or divine connection.
Ram Navami is one such festival that is celebrated throughout
India and as the name ‘Navami’ suggests, it’s a
nine day festival. It marks the birth of Lord
Rama who took birth to vanquish the demon
king Ravana at the behest of the Devas. There are
countless temples dedicated toLord
Rama throughout the world but there are a few that
really stand out. One of those magnificent structures
is the RaghunathTemple located in the heart of the
Jammu city in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. Jammu is
also known as the city of temples and this is certainly its
crown jewel. It’s one of the largest temple complexes in northern India. It houses an impressive
collection of idols (some of them really huge) of all major Hindu gods and goddesses. It’s also
popular for its wall paintings that depict the life Lord Rama and Krishna. And for the scholarly
types, its library houses one of the best collections of rare Sanskrit manuscripts in India. In
short, a few hours with a knowledgeable guide inside the temple are equivalent to a crash
course in Indian mythology.
As I had expected, the temple came alive during the festival of Ram Navamiand was decorated
spectacularly and so was the market right outside the temple. The nine day period is also
known as Navratras and the Akhand Paath (recital) of the entire epic of Ramayana (the story of
Lord Rama) takes place during this time. Apart from this, it follows the usual pattern of all
majorHindu festivities with lots of religious songs, dance, prayers and fasting. Free food is also
distributed to the devotees and I must say that even though the food is prepared in huge
quantities, it’s finger-licking good.

2. This is a fun time to visit Jammu city as there is plenty of activity all around. But, I could only do
so much in the temple itself that is why I suggest it’s a good idea to go hunting for equally
interesting tourist spots in and around the city. There are plenty of temples, forts, palaces,
gardens and even a museum to keep you occupied for at least a couple of days. And, it would
also be a good idea to get your hands on some local art & craft.
I will conclude by saying that although I went all alone, as usual, I realized that it’s more of a
destination for a family trip. Kids will have an absolute blast and in the process also get to learn
a lot. Jammu is a hot tourist destination and so there are plenty of touristy things to do for the
entire family.
This is Joy signing off,
Until next time,
Take care and Travel Happy,
Ciao