Swaminarayan was born on 2 April 1781 (Chaitra sud Nom in the Vikram Samvat calendar) in Chhapaiya. His birthday day is annually celebrated as Swaminarayan Jayanti by his followers. This coincides with the occasion of Ram Navmi.

Significance of Ram Navami

Rama Navami marks the birth of Lord Ram, celebrated on the ninth day of Chaitra Navaratri. The birth of seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu is celebrated with the devotional worships, such as bhajan and kirtan, by fasting and reading passages about Lord Ram’s life.

While the festival is named upon Lord Ram, it also includes the reverence of Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman given their vital importance in Lord Ram’s life.

In states such as Odisha and West Bengal, the Jagannath temples observe Rama Navami, as the day of preparations begins for the annual Jagannath Ratha Yatra.

Devotees fast during the daytime. Temples celebrate the occasion with the view of addressing needs of the growing native Hindu congregation.
Rama Navami is largely celebrated by the Hindu diaspora with roots in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and south India.

The women of BAPS are organizing cultural program for women to celebrate Swaminarayan Jayanthi as well as Ram Navmi at BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir 3620 N Black Canyon Hwy, Phoenix, AZ 85017 on Sunday, Apr 09, 2017 from 3:30 p.m. onwards.

AMandeep