DURING RAM NAVAMI IN AYODHYA, HOLY PILGRIMAGE SILES RESIDES IN ONE PLACE

DURING RAM NAVAMI IN AYODHYA, HOLY PILGRIMAGE SILES RESIDES IN ONE PLACE

25-MARCH-ENG 21

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------On the day of Chaitra Ram Navami, all the holy pilgrimage sites of the world are believed to converge at a single location in Ayodhya. The city of Ayodhya—the birthplace of Lord Shri Ram—holds particular significance, and the festival of Ram Navami is accorded special importance here. Since Lord Shri Ram was born on Ram Navami, visiting Ayodhya on this specific day is said to yield the spiritual merit equivalent to visiting every other pilgrimage site in the world—all within this single, sacred location. Lord Vishnu incarnated as Ram in Ayodhya specifically on the day of Ram Navami. Consequently, among the numerous avatars (incarnations) of Lord Vishnu that have appeared on Earth, four are considered paramount: the avatars of Ram, Krishna, Vamana, and Narasimha.

Thus, on the auspicious occasion of the birth anniversary of Shri Ram—one of these four principal avatars of Lord Vishnu—devotees in the holy city of Ayodhya are blessed with the spiritual rewards equivalent to having visited every holy pilgrimage site in existence. India's great sage and saint, Shri Lakshmi Prapanna Jeeyar Swami Ji Maharaj, participated in the ongoing Shri Lakshmi Narayan Mahayagya—along with the Shri Ram H—in Ayodhya, the city of Shri Ram.

Speaking on the occasion of the *Numat Yajna*, the speaker highlighted the significance of Lord Rama. He stated that the sacred land of Ayodhya is a realm of salvation; to witness the *Darshan* (sacred sight) of the combined *Maha Yajna* dedicated to Lord Rama, Lord Hanuman, and Lord Lakshmi Narayan on such hallowed ground is equivalent to attaining the spiritual merit of residing simultaneously at all the holy pilgrimage sites.

The *Shri Lakshmi Narayan Maha Yajna* commenced on March 20th with the *Jalbhari* (water-filling) ceremony. A total of 1,251 *Havan Kunds* (sacrificial fire pits) have been constructed for the event, with four *Yajmans* (ritual participants) offering oblations at each pit. Thus, within this vast *Yajnashala* (sacrificial arena), approximately 5,000 *Yajmans* are performing the sacred fire ritual for the welfare of the entire world. The principal *Yajman* for this grand ritual is Mahant Shri Dharmadas Ji Maharaj of Hanuman Garhi, Ayodhya, while the Chairman of this massive *Maha Yajna* is Dayashankar Singh, the Transport Minister of Uttar Pradesh.

Thousands of people from various states—including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Madhya Pradesh—are arriving to participate in this *Maha Yajna*. Prominent dignitaries attending the event include Om Prakash Rajbhar (Minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh), former Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, B. Narasimha Sharma, and several other distinguished personalities.