Amla Navami

- December 26, 2023


Amla Navami
Illustration: Shivani Kher

Every year, in the month of November, people celebrate Amla Navami, a day dedicated to the worship of Amla or the Gooseberry tree. Also known as Akshaya Navami, this festival falls in the month of Kartik, as per the Hindu calendar.

According the various legends in the Skanda Purana, Padma Purana and Vishnu Purana, the Amla tree has been associated with Vishnu. It is believed that this tree is very dear to the god and has also been said to be another form of Vishnu himself.

On Amla Navami, devotees observe a fast throughout the day. After a pooja, they break the fast while sitting under an Amla tree. Sitting or meditating under the Amla tree on this day is believed to remove sins and diseases. People also circumambulate the tree and eat amlas to seek good health and prosperity.

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The Sons of Rama

The story of Rama and Sita was first set down by the sage Valmiki in his epic poem 'Ramayana.' Rama was the eldest son of Dasharatha, the king of Ayodhya, who had three wives - Kaushalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Rama was the son of Kaushalya, Bharata of Kaikeyi and Laxmana and Shatrughna of Sumitra. The four princes grew up to be brave and valiant. Rama won the hand of Sita, the daughter of King Janaka. Dasharatha wanted to crown Rama as the king but Kaikeyi objected. Using boons granted to her by Dasharatha earlier, she had Rama banished to the forest. Sita and Laxmana decided to follow Rama. While in the forest, a Rakshasi, Shoorpanakha, accosted Laxmana but had her nose cut off by him. In revenge, her brother Ravana, king of Lanka, carried Sita away. Rama and Laxmana set out to look for her and with the help of an army of monkeys, defeated Ravana. On returning Ayodhya after fourteen years of exile, Rama banished Sita because of the suspicions of his subjects. In the ashrama of sage Valmiki, she gave birth to her twin sons, Luv and Kush.

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