Vivah Panchami is an auspicious day for the Hindus In India. Vivah Panchami is celebrated all over India as a significant festival commemorating the marriage anniversary of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.
The devotees of Lord Ram celebrate this day with great pomp and show. On the day of Vivah Panchami, Goddess Sita accepted Lord Ram as his husband by the Swayamvar procedure.
As per Hindu texts and scriptures, Lord Ram was the incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and Goddess Sita was the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi, who took birth on earth for a Godly purpose to kill all the demons and evil and spread truth and goodness in the world.
Significance of Vivah Panchami 2024:
In Hinduism, marriage is a sacred process connecting two souls in a bond. Vivah Panchami is celebrated as the marriage anniversary of divine Lord Ram and Goddess Sita every year.
Lord Ram and Goddess Sita married through the process of Swayamwar, and many sages, monks, and gods attended this auspicious marriage event of their idol, Lord Ram.
The Vivah Panchami festival represents a reminder of the value of love, respect, and sacrifice in a marriage.
All the Hindus celebrate this festival all over India to show respect for the bond between a couple connected with divine meaning and also give lessons on moral values, righteousness, and respect in marriage.
When is Vivah Panchami?
Vivah Panchami is a significant event celebrated throughout India and Nepal because the goddess Sita hails from Nepal, formerly known as Mithila.
According to the Hindu lunar calendar, it falls on the Panchami of Shukla Paksha Margashirsha; when we convert it to the current world calendar, it falls on Friday, 6 December 2024 this year.
Story of Vivah Panchami
Vivah Panchami features a fascinating story mentioned in the great epic of the Ramayana, written by Ved Vyas. According to the holy Ramayana, King Janak of Mithila (now known as Nepal) had three daughters, with Sita being the eldest.
In her childhood, Sita lifted the divine bow of Lord Shiva, which ordinary people could not move. Witnessing this event, Janak believed that his daughter possessed divine powers.
When Sita grew up, King Janak set the marriage process of Sita through the process of Swayamwar, which means choosing the groom of her choice. Many powerful kings from different kingdoms were invited to participate in the Swayamvar of Sita.
King Janak presents a condition among all the participants that one who lifts and ties the string to the divine bow of Lord Shiva would marry Goddess Sita. All the participants try harder to lift the bow but no one even moves the bow.
Lord Ram participated in the competition and lifted the divine bow with one hand, breaking it into two pieces. As the winner of the competition, Goddess Sita put a garland of flowers on Lord Ram and accepted him as her Husband. The day of their marriage is celebrated as Vivah Panchami from that day.
Where is Vivah Panchami Celebrated?
People celebrate Vivah Panchami 2024 all over India, but the principal celebrations take place in cities like Ayodhya and Janakpurdham (Nepal). The celebration of Vivah Panchami continues for a few days. Apart from this, it is also celebrated in Orchha town of Niwari city in Madhya Pradesh.
The Ayodhya city is the city of Lord Ram as he was born in this city. The people of Ayodhya celebrate Vivah Panchmi with great pomp and show.
The Janakpurdham is the city of Goddess Sita as she was born, brought up, and married in this city. The people of Janakpurdham celebrate Vivah Panchami with great joy.
Celebration and Rituals on Vivah Panchami:
The festival of Vivah Panchami, also known as Ram Vivah Utsav, brings decorations of lights, flowers, and lamps to the temples of Lord Ram and Sita. Devotees perform special arti and pooja on this day.
Many people do fasting and prayers on this day to please Lord Ram to bless them with prosperity. Many married couples do fasting and other rituals to make their married life filled with marital contentment.
Mantras for Vivah Panchami:
The Mantra for Vivah Panchmi Pooja ritual are followed:
- तन्नो सीता: प्रचोदयात् ।। ॐ दाशरथये विद्महे जानकी वल्लभाय धी महि। तन्नो रामः प्रचोदयात् ।।
- श्री रामचन्द्राय नमः । राम रामेति रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे । सहस्त्र नाम तत्तुन्यं राम नाम वरानने ।। गायत्री मंत्र- ॐ दाशरथये विद्महे जानकी वल्लभाय धी महि।
Shree Janki Stuti Mantra:
जानकि त्वां नमस्यामि सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् ।
जानकि त्वां नमस्यामि सर्वपापप्रणाशिनीम् ॥ 1॥दारिद्र्यरणसंहत्रीं भक्तानाभिष्टदायिनीम् ।
विदेहराजतनयां राघवानन्दकारिणीम् ॥ 2॥भूमेर्दुहितरं विद्यां नमामि प्रकृतिं शिवाम् ।
पौलस्त्यैश्वर्यसन्त्री भक्ताभीष्टां सरस्वतीम् ॥3॥पतिव्रताधुरीणां त्वां नमामि जनकात्मजाम् ।
अनुग्रहपरामृद्धिमनघां हरिवल्लभाम् ॥ 4॥आत्मविद्यां त्रयीरूपामुमारूपां नमाम्यहम् ।
प्रसादाभिमुखीं लक्ष्मीं क्षीराब्धितनयां शुभाम् ॥ 5॥नमामि चन्द्रभगिनीं सीतां सर्वाङ्गसुन्दरीम् ।
नमामि धर्मनिलयां करुणां वेदमातरम् ॥ 6॥पद्मालयां पद्महस्तां विष्णुवक्षस्थलालयाम् ।
नमामि चन्द्रनिलयां सीतां चन्द्रनिभाननाम् ॥ 7॥आह्लादरूपिणीं सिद्धि शिवां शिवकरी सतीम् ।
नमामि विश्वजननीं रामचन्द्रेष्टवल्लभाम् ।
सीतां सर्वानवद्याङ्गीं भजामि सततं हृदा ॥ 8॥
Top 4 Benefits of Celebrating Vivah Panchami 2024:
Vivah Panchami 2024 offers devotees blessings from Lord Ram, helping them overcome various troubles and problems in their lives.
The top 4 benefits of celebrating Vivah Panchami are:
- The Vivah Panchami Pooja and rituals remove all the misunderstanding and trust issues between married couples.
- The rituals and Mantras help married couples achieve a balanced married life filled with joy and prosperity.
- Performing pooja and fasting on Vivah Panchami blesses unmarried girls with their desire to groom Lord Ram so that they can live happy married lives.
- This festival spreads the message of love, trust, and sacrifice in married life that helps to strengthen the bond between couples and make their life full of happiness and wealth.
Why there is no Marriage performed on Vivah Panchami:
Vivah Panchami is a very sacred day because Lord Ram and Goddess Sita married on this day. Some view this day as inauspicious since after Lord Ram and Goddess Sita’s marriage, they faced many troubles and suffering.
After Lord Ram and Sita married, they went into the forest for 14 years of exile, and then Rawan kidnapped Goddess Sita. Still, some couples marry on the same day as Vivah Panchami and still live a good life; some say it depends on the horoscope of the couple.
Conclusion:
The Vivah Panchami is an auspicious event for the Indians. This day honours the marriage anniversary of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, divine incarnations of Vishnu and Lakshmi.
The Vivah Panchami festival holds great significance for Hindus, reminding them of love, respect, sacrifice, and trust in relationships. The story of Vivah Panchami is so magnificent it mesmerizes and inspires deep respect and devotion for Lord Ram.
The festival of Vivah Panchami is the event of bonding two divine Characters of Ramayana.
I hope this article helps to understand the rituals, celebrations, and importance of Vivah Panchami.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Vivah Panchami will fall on Friday, 6th December 2024.
Vivah Panchami is celebrated as the marriage anniversary of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita.
The main benefit of celebrating Vivah Panchami is that it blesses the married couple with joy and prosperity and removes all the misunderstandings, trust issues, and other marital problems from their life.
The Kingdom of Goddess Sita and her father was in Mithila, which is currently named Nepal.
Vivah Panchami is mainly celebrated in Ayodhya(Uttar Pradesh), Orchha(Madhya Pradesh), and Janakpurdham(Nepal).
Lord Ram broke the divine bow of Lord Shiva while tying the String on it.