Sri Ramayana Navaham

This Chaitra Navaratri, let your children soak in the divine bliss of Lord Rama at pracharam.in patashala’s 9 d ay virtual workshop “Sri Ramayana Navaaham“

Chaitra masa, the first month of the Hindu lunar calendar, is special in every devotee’s heart. The ninth day of the first fortnight during the shukla paksha or the growing phase of the moon, marks the birth anniversary of the seventh avatara of Lord Vishnu – Sri Rama.

Like Lord Rama’s mesmerizing hue, the world in Chaitra Masa is painted in tender, fresh green to usher in the spring season. With the promise of a new life, rebirth and regeneration, Chaitra Masa offers hope, and a chance to wash away sins and embark on a virtuous path. It is said that Lord Brahma created the universe in this auspicious month.

At pracharam.in, it has been our most cherished endeavor to initiate, encourage and enable young children to become seekers of truth in the vast sweet ocean of Sanathana Dharma. This Chaitra Masa, as part of our Patashala initiative, we are thrilled to offer your young ones an opportunity to begin the new year with the divine grace of Sri Rama through our nine-day virtual workshop – Sri Rama Navaaham.

Why your child should participate in Sri Rama Navaaham ??Sri Rama Navaaham is our humble attempt to celebrate the glory of Sri Rama, the divine, beloved King of Ayodhya, the Adarsha Purusha or the Ideal Man who walked the earth to show what it means to follow one’s dharma. Every Kanda or chapter of the timeless ithihasa Ramayana is a treasure of life lessons to face the challenges one would encounter as a child, a student, an adult, a spouse, a sibling, a King.

Lord Rama is unique among the avataras of Vishnu, as the truth of his divinity is not openly apparent. He basks in the joy of his father’s love, weeps at the separation of his beloved spouse and cherishes his sons, whom he knew only as young boys. This leela, where Lord Rama’s vulnerability is on the fore, is also complemented by his calm and respectful nature, where his reverence and love to every person in his life and his subjects. He undergoes experiences that are deeply troublesome on a moral level, where the conflict is not only between right and wrong, but also between two competing responsibilities.

 Understanding this hierarchy of responsibilities and how it operates within the context of dharma is perhaps one of the most critical teachings of the Ramayana, apart from the lived example of how to conduct oneself with a steady attitude and be unwavering in the face of any difficulty. For children, these aspects of the Ramayana can be life-changing – they can grasp, from a young age, about the complexities of dharma and modify their behaviour and their mind to become reverent, stable and unafraid.

Ramayana is also, above all, a story of deep devotion, as seen through the eyes of Hanuman, Lakshmana, Urmila. The soft, healing power of Bhakti Marga is one of the reasons why the Ramayana has been venerated for generations. It is also a story of unbending courage. Lava and Kusha, as inheritors of the great kingdom of Ayodhya, make ideal role models for children as they face the dangers and harsh realities of life.

At pracharam.in patashala, we have designed the 9-day Ramayana festival to bring these elements of this timeless epic in a way that is easy and enjoyable for children to relate to.

Through a combination of live storytelling, engagement through art, music, games and brain activities, we want children to soak in the bliss of Lord Rama’s life, in a way that the story is forever etched in their minds and hearts.

The workshop is open to children between the ages of 5 to 13. Please find more details about the workshop here – https://pracharam.in/patashala

 Jai Sri Ram ! Jai Hanuman !

Author Shripriya Rao