Deity · Maryada Purushottam

Ramaश्री राम

Shri Rama, the seventh avatar of Vishnu, is Maryada Purushottam — the ideal man who kept dharma in every role: as son, husband, brother, friend and king. His life is told in Valmiki's Ramayana and in Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, the most widely read Hindu scripture in North India.

  • Also known asRaghunath, Raghava, Dasharathi, Ramachandra
  • ConsortSita
  • BrothersLakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna
  • DevoteeHanuman
  • BirthplaceAyodhya
  • Sacred dayRam Navami
Rama
Image: Raja Ravi Varma, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

About Rama

Born in Ayodhya to King Dasharatha and Kaushalya, Rama gave up his throne to honour his father's word and spent fourteen years in exile with Sita and Lakshmana. When Ravana carried Sita away to Lanka, Rama, with Hanuman and the vanara army, crossed the sea and defeated him.

Dussehra celebrates that victory and Diwali his return to Ayodhya. Ram Rajya — the rule of Rama — remains the Indian ideal of just and caring government, and his name, 'Ram', is itself chanted as a mantra.

Rama mantra

Shri Ram Taraka mantra

श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम

śrī rāma jaya rāma jaya jaya rāma

Glory to Shri Rama, victory to Rama, victory, victory to Rama.

Prayers to Rama 6

Chalisas, aartis, stotras and mantras for Rama, each with the full text, transliteration and meaning.

Chalisa · 6–8 min Ram Chalisa राम चालीसा Forty verses celebrating Lord Ram's virtues and story — a companion piece to Hanuman Chalisa. Read with meaning → Aarti · 3 min Aarti Shri Ramayan Ji Ki आरति श्री रामायण जी की The aarti sung at the end of every Ramayana or Sundar Kand path — praising the Ramayana itself, sung by Brahma, Narada, Valmiki, Shiva and Parvati — with meaning in English and Hindi. Read with meaning → Stotra · 10 min Shri Ram Raksha Stotram श्रीरामरक्षास्तोत्रम् The 'armour of Rama' — a kavacha in which each part of the body is placed under the protection of one of Rama's names. Tradition says Shiva revealed it to the sage Budha Kaushika in a dream. Recited daily for protection, and especially on Ram Navami. Read with meaning → Mantra · 3 min Shri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram श्री राम जय राम जय जय राम The thirteen-syllable Ram mantra, chanted in kirtan and japa from Samarth Ramdas to Swami Ramdas — its meaning, the "Rama Rameti" verse, and how to chant it. Read with meaning → Aarti · 4 min Shri Ramchandra Kripalu Bhaju Man श्रीरामचन्द्र कृपालु भजु मन Tulsidas's hymn to Shri Rama from the Vinaya Patrika, sung as the Ram aarti and stuti in temples and homes — "O mind, worship merciful Shri Ramchandra, who removes the terrible fear of worldly life". Read with meaning → Stotra · about 90 min Sundar Kand सुन्दरकाण्ड The complete Sundar Kand, the fifth book of Goswami Tulsidas's Shri Ramcharitmanas — Hanuman's leap across the ocean, his meeting with Sita in the Ashoka grove, the burning of Lanka, Vibhishana's refuge with Rama and the Ocean's surrender — with the full text in Devanagari, transliteration, and meanings in Hindi and English for every doha. Read with meaning →

Festivals of Rama

Temples of Rama

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir श्री राम जन्मभूमि मंदिर

Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh · Rama

Grand temple at Lord Ram's birthplace, consecrated on 22 January 2024. Built in the Nagara style from pink sandstone, it draws well over a lakh devotees on busy days. One of the largest temples of the modern era.

Raghunath Temple

Raghunath Temple रघुनाथ मंदिर

Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir · Rama (Raghunath)

Large 19th-century temple complex of Lord Rama in the heart of Jammu, built by the Dogra Maharajas, with seven shrines and a vast collection of lingas and saligrams.

Bhadrachalam Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple

Bhadrachalam Sita Ramachandraswamy Temple भद्राचलम सीता रामचंद्र स्वामी मंदिर

Bhadrachalam, Telangana · Rama (with Sita and Lakshmana)

The most famous Rama temple of South India, on the banks of the Godavari, built in the 17th century by the poet-saint Bhakta Ramadasu. Its Sri Rama Navami Kalyanam, the celestial wedding of Sita and Rama, is a major event in the Telugu states.

Masrur Rock-cut Temples

Masrur Rock-cut Temples मसरूर शैलकृत मंदिर

Masrur (Kangra), Himachal Pradesh · Shiva (original); Rama, Sita and Lakshmana in the main shrine today

A rare monolithic temple complex carved from a single sandstone ridge in the Kangra valley, facing the Dhauladhar range. It is the finest rock-cut temple group of the Himalayan region, often compared with Ellora.

Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta

Kodandarama Temple, Vontimitta कोदण्डराम मंदिर, वोंटिमिट्टा

Vontimitta (Kadapa), Andhra Pradesh · Rama with Sita and Lakshmana

A grand Vijayanagara-era temple of Rama near Kadapa, linked with the Telugu poet Bammera Potana. It is now the venue of Andhra Pradesh's official Sri Rama Navami celebrations, with the divine wedding held on a full-moon night.

Rama Lakshmana Temples, Baradia

Rama Lakshmana Temples, Baradia राम लक्ष्मण मंदिर, बरडिया

Baradia, near Dwarka, Gujarat · Vishnu (historic Vaishnava shrines)

A pair of late 12th-century Solanki-style temples near Dwarka, considered among the earliest surviving Vaishnava temples in Gujarat and protected as a monument of national importance.

Frequently asked questions

Why is Rama called Maryada Purushottam?

Maryada means the bounds of right conduct and Purushottam the best of men. Rama is so called because he never stepped outside dharma, even when it cost him his throne and his personal happiness.

When is Ram Navami?

Ram Navami falls on Chaitra Shukla Navami, the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, the last day of Chaitra Navratri. Rama is said to have been born at midday.

Which text should I read for Rama?

Valmiki's Sanskrit Ramayana is the original epic. Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi is the most read for daily devotion — its Sundar Kand in particular. The Ram Raksha Stotram is a short protective hymn.