Prince Rama was said to be born on Janurary 10th, 5114 B.C.. He was born to King Dasharatha and Kausalya. He was born as one of the incarnations of Vishnu and as the very first son of King Dasharatha. The ‘Sree Rama Navami’ festival falls in the Shukla Paksha on the Navami, the ninth day of the month of Chaitra in the Hindu Calendar.

Dasharatha was the king of Ayodhya. He had three queens and they were Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. He was childless for a long time and, anxious to produce an heir, he performed a fire sacrifice known as Putra-Kameshti Yagya. As a consequence, Rama was first born to Kausalya, Bharata was born to Kaikeyi, and Lakshmana and Shatrughna were born to Sumitra.

The story of Rama and his life is written by the sage Valmiki. ‘Bala Kanda’ describes the birth of Rama. King Dasharatha went to his friend and adviser, called Vasishtha, and told him how he longed to have a son. He said that he would perform a special ceremony to fulfill his wish.

Then King Dasharatha held a special ceremony, at which he asked for the birth of a son. A fiery form rose up out of the flames and handed him a bowl filled with divine liquid. He was the fire god giving him a drink that would give him sons. So saying, the being disappeared, and Dasharatha carried the bowl to his three queens, and divided the liquid between them. Many months passed. There was a day when it was not too hot or cold and the day was perfect. It was on this day that Kaushalya gave birth to her son, Rama. Rama was born on the ninth lunar day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra, when the star Punarvasu was in the ascendant. The five planets (Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn) were in their respective exaltation positions. Every year the birth of Rama is celebrated as Ramanavami.