In the footsteps of Sri Rama – 4 (Mithila Desam)

In the footsteps of Sri Rama/ ஸ்ரீ ராமரின் பாதையில்/ Sri Rama Anu Yatra – 4

The Land of Sita ma – the birth and Vivah at Mithila desam

The trio of Sri Vishwamithra, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana went straight from Vishlanagaram to Janakpur but the Sri Rama Anu Yatra team took a slight detour to visit some nearby sacred places. From Sonepur to Sitamarhi is a very bad road and the Yatra team actually took nearly 10 hours when they planned for 4 hours, in 2010. Now, you have to check whether the road conditions have improved.

Sitamarhi (Bihar)

Marhi means Bhoomi and this is the birth place of Sita ma, Sita’s bhoomi. This is located in Dharbanga dist in Bihar, close to the Nepal border. ‘Dhar’ means earth and ‘banga’ means opening up and district is named in the holy event of the birth of Sita ma out of earth. Sita ma was born here in Bihar, India but grown up in Janakpur in Nepal but both the regions were Mithila desam in Ramayana period. Rama did not visit this place during his travel with Vishwamithra and He went straight to Janakpuri.

Rama becomes complete only in the company of Sita ma, says Sri Velukkudi Swamigal. Rama wants to protect and save bakthas from their ordeals but they are so sinful that Rama gets angry sometimes and there comes Sita ma. She always plead Rama to forgive the sins of the bakthas and accept them. When Sita ma is not there He punishes but when She accompanies Him, He blesses. This is the case with Vali vatham, Ravana vatham etc., That’s why it is customary for us to first worship in Thayar sannidhi and then go to Perumal sannidhi in any Perumal temple, says Sri Velukkudi Swamigal.

There was a King called Nimi ruling this place. He requested Maharishi Vashishta to perform a yagna for him for the birth of progeny. Vashishta told him to wait as he had other duties to perform at that time. Nimi was not patient enough and started the yagna with other rishis. On knowing this, Vashishta cursed him to go ‘bodyless’ or ‘Videha’. Though he became bodyless, the other rishis continued the yagna for him to get progeny and it has to take effect due to the power of the Yagna. Therefore, the other rishis churned the bodyless Nimi (like devas did in churning the milky ocean) and brought forth his child – Janaka, Sita ma’s father. Since Sita was born to Janaka, she earned the name of Janaki. Since Sita ma came in the vamsa of Videha king, She is known as ‘Vaidehi’. Since She was born out of earth, She is Sita, Jagath Janani. She is called Mythili since She was from Mithila desam.

This is the Yagna bhoomi of King Janakar and there is a Yagna Shala of him. There are 2 temples dedicated to Sita here.

1a) Janki Sthan/ Janaki Temple

About 2.5 kms West off the Sitamarhi railway station and the bus stand, this temple is traditionally being considered to be the birthplace of Sita ma. This temple, however, seems to be built about 100 years ago. The Senthura Hanumar at this temple is not only decorated uniquely every single day but his face also shows different expressions on different days depending upon the day.

Links: Location

1b) Ma Sita Urwaja Kund

This is considered to the place where Sita ma was found when Janakar was ploughing the field. A sudai sculpture of Janakar ploughing the field and the infant Sita in a basket is present in a small shrine in the middle of the pond.

Links: Location

2) Mother Janaki Janmabhoomi/ Punora Dham/ Ram Janaki Mandir/ Sita Kund at Punaura

This temple is about 4 kms West of Sitamarhi railway station. It also stakes the same claim to be the birthplace of Sita. There is a big and beautiful pond by the side of the temple. Sita ma and Rama with all His brothers are seen in the main shrine. Sita ma’s footprints and Sri Rama’s footprints are also present.

Links: Location

Sri Rama Navami is highly popular throughout Bharat but Janaki Jayanthi is very popular in Sitamarhi, Janakpur and in most parts of North India (only).
Sri Rama was born on Chithirai month, Suklapaksha Navami thithi, Punarvasu star and Sita ma was born in the same Suklapaksha Navami thithi, on the next month Vaikasi, on Pushya nakshatra

Sita Janana Sargam is not in Ramayana but in Bhagavatham by Sukhacharyar

Banyan tree in Panth Pakar near Sitamarhi

An age-old banyan tree stands here at about 8 kms northeast of Sitamarhi. It is said that when Sita left Janakpur in a palanquin for Ayodhya after her marriage to Shri Ram, She took rest for a while under this very same banyan tree.

Note: Not sure whether told in Ramayana; not part of Ramayana Anu Yatra

Links: Location

Sitakund Dham at Vrindavan Pipra in East Champaran 

This is a village near Pipra railway station, 20 kms southeast of Motihari and about 2 kms north of Madhuban Vediban on the Sikrahna River.

The village contains the remains of an ancient fort in the shape of an irregular square, 450 ft. long on each side, with large round bastions at the corners and in the middle of each face. Inside the fort is a holy tank, called Sitakund where Sita ma is considered to have taken bath. It is a deep circular pond surrounded by brick walls with four ghats leading down to it.
A great mela is held here on the Ramnavami every year. There are several temples and shrines around it; the principal temple, which stands near the western side of the tank, enshrines moorthies of Sun, Hanuman and Vishnu, an image of Ravana, with 20 arms and 10 heads, five of which only are shown on the carving; another of Mahishamardini or Durga in the act of killing a buffalo demon and two images of Ganesh, one seated with four arms and one dancing with eight arms, etc.

Note: Not sure whether told in Ramayana; not part of Ramayana Anu Yatra

Links: Location

Janakpur (Nepal)

This is the ancient Mithila town of the Mithila desam ruled by King Janakar, father of Sita ma. It is located in Nepal at about 50 kms from Sitamarhi in Bihar, India. From Sitamarhi, Bhittamore, Indian border is around 35 kms and from there to Janakpur is another 20 kms. Indians don’t need any passport/ visa for Nepal and they have to just register at the border.

On the 14th day of Rama’s travel with Maharishi Vishwamithra, Ramar arrived at Janakpur.

Shiva Dhaush

Lord Shiva is also known as ‘Pinakapani’. To handle Tripura Samhara war, Lord Shiva received the body of Maharishi Dadeechi as dhanam (charity) and He made a bow out of his bones. After the Tripura Samhara, Lord Shiva gave that bow to Parasurama. Parasurama vanquished many Kshatriyas using this bow. Then Lord Shiva asked Parasurama to give it to Mithila’s king Devaradan, who was his profound sishya and Janaka’s ancestor. The actual name of Janaka is Seeradwajan. Janaka and Sita’s mother Sunaina were caring and worshipping the bow at their palace. When Sita ma was a child, Sunaina asked Sita to worship the bow. Sita lifted the bow with ease with her left hand itself and then put it down. King Janaka who was watching this was filled with amazement and thought that when the child could lift the bow with so much ease, then surely someone who should marry her should be able to string that bow in order to show his worthiness to marry her. So he kept that as a qualifier for Sita ma’s marriage.

When Rama broke the Sivadhanush during Sita’s Swayamvara, it broke into 3 parts, the top part fell in Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram), the middle (handle) part fell in Dhanushdham near Janakpuri and the bottom part fell in Bhadala loka. The bootom part that fell in bhadala loka is kept and being worshipped in Janakpuri.

Sita’s Swayamwara and Marriage

When Maharishi Vishwamithra accompanied Sri Rama & Sri Lakshman to the Sita’s Swayamvaram, Rama took the Dhanush in the middle (handle) portion and in the force of his pulling out itself, it broke into three parts and fell in 3 different places of Bharat. Rama was unaware of the Sita’s Swayamvara and he took up the assignment as just ordained by Guru Vishwamithra. So, when Ma Sita approached Sri Rama with the garland, he refused to accept immediately and said his father’s blessings need to be sought first. When Dasharatha was approached for this, he counselled his Guru Vasishta who spoke very highly of Janaka’s vamsa and Sita. Dasharatha then left Ayodhya with the whole of Ayodhya people for Janakpur for the marriage.
The marriage took place not only to Rama but also to all his brothers – Lakshmana – Urmila, Bharata – Mandavi, Shatrughna – Sruta Keerthi. Two brides were King Janaka’s daughters and the other two were Janaka’s brother Kusathdvajan’s daughters.
Rama was 12 years old and Sita was 6 years at the time of marriage.
In South, Sita Kalyana is celebrated on the “Panguni Uthra” day whereas in Janakpuri and most parts of North, it is celebrated on the day of Margazhi month sukla paksha panchami thithi as “Vivaha Panchami”.
At the marriage, Vashishta took the spot of the family Guru of Dasarathar (Rama) and Sadhananthar took the spot of the family Guru of Janakar (Seetha). Vishwamithra who took Rama and Lakshmana through to Janakpur and Seeta’s Swayamwaram all along had to be contended as the key player of the marriage. Sage Sadhananthar was the son of Gautama rishi and Ahalya and was Janakar’s preceptor. Sage Viswamitra introduced Sri Rama as the person who killed the demons and protected his yagna and who redeemed Sadhananda’s mother, Ahalya, from her curse just before entering Janakpur.

Janaki mandir

This is a palace like temple with plenty of shrines. This is King Janaka’s palace where Sita ma was brought up.
This is the place from which Sri Janaki looked down from the balcony at Sri Ram at the very same moment when Sri Ram also looked at her while he was walking through the streets of Janakpur, i.e., the place of famous Kamba Ramayana verse “அண்ணலும் நோக்கினான், அவளும் நோக்கினாள்” (Rama also looked and Sita also looked)

At the main shrine, Sita ma, King Janaka, Dasharatha and others’ Sri Murthis are kept. There are 3 sets of Janaki-Ramar vigrahams in the main shrine.

There is a huge glass house auditorium in the name of ‘Seetha Sheesh Mahal’ which is considered to be the spot of Sita – Rama’s marriage. Plenty of vigrahas of the sages, maharishis, gurus, kings and wives from both sides and other countries, etc., whoever had attended the marriage are kept. There are separate shrines for Sita-Ramar, Urmila-Lakshmana, Mandavi-Bharatan and Srutakirti-Shatrugunan on four sides around this mandapam.

At the back of the temple there is an entrance that is said to be the entrance for King Janaka. There is a small shrine there where 1000+ saligrama moorthies are kept and being worshipped. Normally they are hidden with a screen but the priest will open and show them on request.

Ram Mandir is the oldest temple presently in Janakpur. In the main shrine, there are 3 unique shilas. In one shila, Sri Rama is carved out with Sita sitting on HIS lap, Lakshmana by Sri Rama’s side, Bharata and Shatruguna near Sri Rama’s feet. Another shila has Lakshmi and Narayanan together and the third shila is that of King Janaka’s.

Ratna Sagar, about 1 km from Janakpur is the place where Sita ma’s jewels for Her wedding were kept

Links: Location

Dhanush Mandir at Dhanushadham (Nepal)

This is a small temple located at around 20 kms from Janakpur.
When Rama broke the Sivadhanush during Sita’s Swayamvara, it broke into 3 parts, the top part fell in Dhanushkodi (Rameswaram), the middle (handle) part fell in Dhanushdham (here) and the bottom part fell in Bhadala loka.

An ancient tree is found here with very long roots growing towards East. A deep cavity near the root of the tree is said to contain the broken piece of the bow.
There is a sacred khund with a fountain of water, known as ‘Patal Ganga’ (Ganga of the underworld). The local people believe that when that Khund is full there will be prosperity all around.

Links: Location

Back to Ayodhya

Rama was 12 years and Sita was 6 years at the time of marriage and after the marriage they spent 12 happy years at Ayodhya.

In Sita ma’s own words:

samaa dvaadasha tatra aham raaghavasya niveshane || (Sundara Kandam 33-17)
bhunjaanaa maanuShaan bhogaan sarva kaama samR^iddhinii |

“I stayed in Rama’s house for twelve years, enjoying the worldly pleasures belonging to human kind and fulfilling all my desires.”

This marks the end of Bala kandam and next starts the Ayodhya Kandam.

All Pictures courtesy – Snapshots from the video of Sri Velukkudi Swamigal