Ram’s Way: Tales Of The Ramayana For Navaratri

Step into a day of practice, community, and epic tradition on the mountain. This special Navaratri Mountain Experience invites you to share in the events of the day: nourishing meals, a guided walk to Sunset Ridge, yoga practice, and an evening reading from the Ramayana at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple. The Ramayana is a timeless tale of devotion, courage, and the triumph of light over darkness. Hearing its verses during Navaratri connects us to a living tradition that has inspired seekers of wisdom for centuries.

Whether you are joining Mount Madonna for the first time or returning for another celebration, this day offers a chance to experience the beauty of the land, the warmth of community, and the heart of Navaratri.

The day’s program will include:

• A guided tour of the Mount Madonna campus (weather permitting)
• Brunch & dinner in the shared community dining hall
• Personal time
• Ramayana reading for Navaratri at the temple
• Option to attend arati (ritual of light) after dinner at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
• Option to book a wellness treatment at Kaya Kalpa Wellness Center (fees additional, advance reservations recommended)

To participate in this special day, please register for a Mountain Experience day visit.

Interested in attending more of the daily ceremonies and evening celebrations of Navaratri and Vijay Dasami? See the full program page.

Navaratri

Navaratri (nava, nine; ratri, night) is a nine-day ritual in which the Ramayana – a classic Sanskrit epic from India – is honored and brought to life by performance of daily puja to Ram and the reading of Ram’s story. The Ramayana recounts the story of one of the incarnations of the Hindu God Vishnu, who took the form of a human, Ram, to rid the earth of the terrible plague of darkness being spread by a great ten-headed demon king named Ravana. It can be interpreted as both the tale of a god incarnated as a human to help alleviate suffering, as well as our own inner journey of awakening and confrontation with darkness representing our own ego.

Vijay Dasami 

Navaratri culminates with Vijay Dasami, which means “victory on the tenth day.”

The evenings includes a special Vedic fire ceremony to offer prayers for purification and blessings for all. The puja (ceremonial offering) and yajna (ancient Vedic ritual) will honor Vijay Dasami, a traditional annual Hindu holiday also known as Dushera, celebrating the victory of Lord Ram over the ten-headed demon king Ravana. The ceremony symbolically represents the triumph of light over darkness or the surrender of the ego through offering all aspects of one’s mind, body, and senses to the sacred fire.

All ceremonies will take place at the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple at Mount Madonna, and all events of the Navaratri & Vijay Dasami program will be livestreamed via the Temple YouTube channel.