The birth day and birth anniversary of the national goddess Sita, celebrated every year on the ninth day of the bright moon of the month of Vaishakh, is being celebrated today with devotion and worship of Sita.

The story of Sita's birth during the Treta Yuga, when King Janak of Mithila performed a great sacrifice and ritually plowed the fields, is described in the Ramayana and other Vedic philosophical texts and Puranas.

Religious scholar Prof. Dr. Ramchandra Gautam informed that various texts describe the birth of Lakshmi as Sita after the birth of Lord Vishnu's sixth incarnation, Shri Ram, the son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya.

Sita is revered as Satyavati, a woman of integrity and an ideal woman. She was married to Prince Rama, the son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya.

He said that the Puranas mention the story of Sita, who accompanied Rama when he went to the forest to fulfill his father's orders, not abandoning her filial piety even after being abducted by Ravana.

What is Sita Navami (Janki Jayanti) Sita Navami marks the birth anniversary of Maa Sita, the Divine consort of Lord Rama . The festival is also known as Sita Jayanti, Janki Navami or Janki Jayanti, it is celebrated on the Shukla Paksha (Waxing Moon), Navami (Day Nine) tithi in the lunar month of Vaishaka (May-June) as per the Hindu calendar.

What To Do On Sita Navami?

On Sita Jayanti or Janki Navami the married women pray to Goddess Sita or Sita Devi, who spent Her life dedicated to Her husband, Lord Rama through all situations, as specied in the Epic Ramayana. Hindu women observe the Sita Navami Vrat or fast for the well-being of their husbands, the way Sita Devi did for Lord Rama.

Rama Navami And Sita Navami

It is interesting to know that Lord Rama was born on the same tithi (Navami) in the Chaitra Month (April-May) and His birth anniversary is known as Rama Navami which is celebrated before the Sita Navami. There are many legends associated with the story of Maa Sita's birth. Sitamarhi district in the Indian state of Bihar is a pilgrimage place and is considered the birthplace of Sita Devi by locals. Besides this, in Nepal, Province No. 2, is also presumed to be the birthplace of Sita Devi.

The other legend is derived from the Tamil version of Valmiki's Ramayan which says that Sita Devi was found in the lap of Earth,hidden in the ploughed furrow of a eld. The location indicated is Sitamarhi of Mithila region which is presently in the state of

Bihar, India. Because of this story, Goddess Sita is also referred to as the daughter of Goddess Earth or Bhumi Devi and is said to have been found and adopted by the King of Mithila, King

Janaka and Sunaina, His wife.

Another version of King Janaka story, from the revised texts of Ramayana Manjari describes that once King Janaka saw Menaka in the sky and the King expressed a wish to have a child. When he discovered the child, Menaka appeared in the sky once again and gave Him the message that She had given birth to the child and that King Janaka should adopt Her as the child.

It is also believed that Sita Devi was King Janaka's own daughter and not adopted as indicated in the original Valmiki Ramayana. There are two reincarnation legends of Sita Devi's birth: Some versions of the Ramayana suggest that at the time when Vedavati was doing penance with the intension of becoming Lord Vishnu's consort, Ravana had tried to molest her which tarnished her purity and her chaste form.

Vedavati cursed

Ravana that she would reincarnate in another time and would be the cause of Ravana's death and then she immolated herself in a pyre. It is said that Vedavati was reincarnated as Sita Devi.

The other story of Manivati is quite on the similar lines where Ravana was responsible for upsetting the austere life which Manivati adhered to. She vowed to pay back Ravana for this and took birth later as Ravana's daughter. However, His astrologers predicted that this daughter would be the cause of His destruction.

Ravana wanted to get rid of the reincarnated Manivati and so buried Her in the Earth at Mithila, where She was detected by farmers and King Janaka then adopted Her. Sita Name Meaning & Her Other Names

Sri Sita Devi, Lord Rama's wife and the daughter of King Janaka have quite a few names with which She is referred to. Sita - in Sanskrit means furrow, “seet”, as she was discovered in a furrow of the eld in Mitila.

Janaki - It means the daughter of King Janak and is a popular name of Devi Sita. Janakatmaja - Janak is Sita Devi's father and the Sanskrit word 'Atmaja', means 'part of the soul'. Combined, it means part of Janak's Soul.

Janaknandani - It means Janak's daughter. The word 'nandini' means the one who brings joy. So Janaknandini means the one who brought joy in King Janak's life. Bhumija and Bhoomiputri - Means the daughter of Bhoomi (Earth).

Maithili - means the Princess of Mithala. Rma (Rama) - Rma (Rama) means the wife of Rama. Vaidehi - King Janak could move into the state of transcendental meditation, defying the physical consciousness and was referred to as Vaideh. Vaidehi, means Janak's daughter.