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The story of Sita, also known as Janaki, is a timeless tale of love, virtue, and devotion deeply rooted in Hindu culture and scriptures. This narrative explores the diverse legends surrounding her birth and her enduring significance as a symbol of ideal womanhood.
Characters in the story:
Lord Ram: Lord Rama is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism and is the seventh avataar of Lord Vishnu. He is known for his virtues of righteousness, courage, and devotion, and is considered a symbol of ideal human behavior and the victory of good over evil.
Mata Sita: Mata Sita is the wife of Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. She is regarded as an epitome of feminine virtues and is worshipped as a goddess by many.
King Janak: King Janaka is a Hindu king of Videha which was located in the Mithila region. He is the father of Mata Sita.
Ranava: Ravana, a prominent character in the Hindu epic Ramayana, is widely recognized as the demon king of Lanka. Infamous for abducting Sita, the wife of Lord Rama, he faced his ultimate downfall at the hands of Lord Rama.
Mandodari: Mandodari was the queen consort of Ravana, the king of Lanka. Ramayana describes her as beautiful, pious, and righteous. She is extolled as one of the Panchakanya, the recital of whose names is believed to dispel sin.

Sita was the princess of Mithila who later married Lord Ram of Ayodhya. According to belief, Sita is the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, born to marry Lord Ram, the incarnation of the Lord Vishnu. In the epic Ramayana, she symbolizes the perfect married Hindu woman and the ideal daughter of Goddess Bhumi (Earth). The story of Sita’s birth is detailed in the Padma Purana and Bhavishyapurana (Sitanavami Vrat Mahatmya).
Sita, also known as Janaki, is the daughter of King Janaka of Janakpur and the princess of Mithila. She holds a central place in Rama-centric dharmic beliefs, recognized for her self-sacrifice and purity. Sita is also regarded as one of the seventeen Nepalese national icons.
According to the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana, Sita was found by King Janaka while plowing the field as part of a Vedic ritual, making her birth legendary and divine.
In the Rampokhyana of the Mahabharata, Sita is described as the biological daughter of King Janaka. Ancient scriptures claim that Sita was born in Janakpur Dham, located in present-day Province No.2 (Madhesh Province) of Nepal.
In another version of the story from Janakpur Dham in Mithila, ruled by King Sirdwaj Janak, during a severe drought, King Janak sought advice from monks and scholars in his palace. Upon their suggestion, he plowed the field, and while doing so, he heard a sound and found a baby girl in a box. He raised her as his own daughter and named her ‘Sita.’ She became the princess of Mithila, also known as Janaki.
In the Indonesian version of the Ramayana, Sita is referred to as Shinta or Rakyan Wara Sinta and is considered Ravana’s biological daughter. According to the Javanese version, Ravana was in love with a lady priest named Widawati, who refused him and committed suicide. As per Resi Maruta, his teacher, Widawati would be reborn as Ravana’s daughter.
However, when Devi Kanung (Ravana’s wife) gave birth, Ravana was away expanding his kingdom. The baby girl was kidnapped and exchanged by Wibisana with a baby boy created from the sky. This boy was mistaken as Ravana’s son and later identified as Indrajit. The infant girl abandoned by Wibisana was found by King Janaka when she drifted down the river into the territory of Mantili Kingdom.
According to Gunabhadra’s Uttara Purana, Ravana interfered with the asceticism of Manivati, the child of Amitavega of Alkapuri, and she sought revenge on the King of Lanka. Manivati was eventually reborn as Ravana and Mandodari’s daughter. However, astrologers predicted that she would bring ruin to Ravana, leading him to order her murder. The infant girl was placed in a box and buried in the region of Mithila, where she was found and adopted by King Janaka as his own child.
Regardless of which version of Sita’s birth one chooses to believe, Sita will always remain a prominent figure in Hindu culture and traditions. She is characterized as the epitome of virtue, purity, and devotion. Sita’s unwavering loyalty and steadfast love for Rama are central to her character, making her a symbol of ideal womanhood and marital fidelity. Her resilience and strength are evident in her abduction by the demon king Ravana and her subsequent trials during her captivity in Lanka. Sita’s actions and values, as portrayed in the ancient epic, the Ramayana, continue to inspire millions and serve as a source of moral and ethical guidance in Hindu culture.
