jai ganesha Sri Ram Navami is a 9 days pooja. This year in india it is starting from 16 march 2010 - 24 March 2010, it is also known as chitra navami for devi devotees. simple Procedure followed for Ram navami: First, Lord Vishnu is alankara priya ( loves to be decorated) with flowers and specially with tulasi leaves. According to ones capacity one should follow it. On 16 march one should get up at brahmi muhrut( 4:30 - 6:00 am) and take an oil bath and do a sanakalp that according to your capacity you will underatke the navami pooja. Many people fast for 9 days, i.e taking one meal a day preferably fruits or food of 'sativik' content. Srimad Bhagvatam or vishnu puran is read for the whole 9 days - which is considered tremendously auspicious, some people who cannot read it chant vishnu sahasarnaman or Lakshmi narayana hrdayam with tulasi leaves. Reading of bhagavatam is consisered as the best pooja. Due to heavy work schedule many people cannot follow it. No matter as work is worship, one can chant vishnu sahasranam with tulasi leaves. If one chants vishnu sahasaranamam - it should be done as follows on day 1 it should be chanted thrice, day 2 four times, day 3 5 times, so on till the ninth day. Of course this is not mandatory, it soley depends on the individual capacity or time limit. If one chants Lakshmi naryana hrydayam - to get the full benefits one 'must' follow this procedure: The chant should go as follows - first Narayana hrdayam next lashmi hrdayam then Narayana hrdayam then again Narayana hrdayam next lashmi hrdayam then Narayana hrdayam. This is called as one complete hrdayam cycle. Kunkum archana should be done to laskshmi hrydyam and turmeric should be used for naryana hrdayam. If followed with bhakthi gives tremendeous benefits during any normal day, the benefits obtained by following the above on auspicious days like ram navami cannot be described. *** THE MOST IMPORTANT THING - IF ONE CANNOT READ EITHER VISHNU SAHASARANAM OR LAKSHMI NARAYANA HRDAYAM CORRECTLY, THEY ARE ADVISED TO LISTEN TO AN AUDIO OR VIDEO VERSION - which today is easily found on you tube. If the pronunciation is wrong it confers negative benefits.***** Many people conduct homas during this period, according to ones capacity. The most important thing is as Lord Vishnu stated is a vishnu pooja is completed by performing a shiv pooja at the end of each day so according to one's capacity one must do it. god bless. jai ganesha
