Lord Ram is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is a symbol of courtesy and virtue. Lord Ram is believed to have born on this earth to destroy the evil forces here. In the words of Swami Vivekananda, Lord Ram is "the embodiment of truth, morality, the ideal son, the ideal husband, and above all, the ideal king". He is a mythological figure whose deeds are elaborated in the epic take of Ramayana.
Ram was the first son of Dasaratha, king of Ayodhya. His mother was Kaushalya. His other brother Bharat was born of Kaikei while Lakshman and Shatrugna were born of Sumitra. Saint Vishwammitra wanted Ram to kill the demon Tarka and her two sons Mareech and Subahu as they were disturbing him and his ashram.
After killing them, Ram accompanied Vishwamitra to Mithila where King Janak was organizing a svayamvara for his daughter Sita. King Janak announced that whoever would be able to lift the bow of Lord Shiva will marry Sita.
It was only Ram who could lift the bow and even bend it hard. Ram therefore got married to Sita while his other brothers married Sita’s sisters. They returned to Ayodhya where they lived very happily. Kaikeyi however, wanted his son Bharat to become the king and in order to give him the throne; she went to Dasarath to request for the same. The maid Manthara influenced Kaikeyi to ask the king for favors which were promised to her when the Queen had once saved the King’s life.
There was little that Dasarath could do but to give to the wishes of the Queen. King Dasarath fell very ill after Ram left for the forest along with his wife and brother Lakshman. In the forest, Mareech took the guise of a golden deer and abducted Sita and caged her in Lanka. In Lanka Ravan persuaded Sita to marry him, but she rejected all his proposals.
In the meantime, Ram made an alliance with the monkey king Sugreev who raised an army of monkeys led by Hanuman, an ardent follower of Ram. The vanar sena finally attacked Ravana’s army in Lanka and eventually there was victory of good over evil. People welcome Ram and Sita to Ayodhaya by lighting lamps and from that day Diwali is celebrated as a festival of light and happiness.
Rama Gayatri Mantra
Om Daserathaya Vidhmahe
Sita Vallabhaya Dheemahe
Thanno Rama Prachodayath.
Om Sri Rama Jaya Rama, Jaya, Jaya Rama
'Om and Victory to Rama (the self within), victory, victory to Rama.'