Sita Samahit Shtal
A holy place in the middle of Varanasi & Allahabad, Sita Samahit Sthal situates on the banks of the Ganga river. This sleepy district in the eastern uttarpradesh upholds a long tradition and cultural heritage that has its footings on the great epic Ramayana. As the name suggests, Sita samahit sthal is closely related to Sita devi, the icon of Indian women hood.
Lord Ram and Sita was taken to Ayodhya , people questioned her purity as she had spent a long time in Ravana’s confinement. Lord Ram who was the model of ideal conduct honoured the verdict of the people and sent Sita to exile once again, where the twins Luv & Kush were born. Meanwhile in Ayodhya , Lord Ram conducted the Ashwamedha Yajna. Rishi Valmiki intervened and told Ram that Luv & Kush were his sons, and that Sita was living in his Ashram. He asked Ram to take Sita back to Ayodhya and perform the Ashwamedh Yagna by sitting beside his wife. Ram told Valmiki that he would take Sita back only if she re-established her purity before the people of Ayodhya. Sita could not bear the insult anymore and prayed to Mother Earth to give shelter to her. Mother Earth erupted and Sita entered into it. Lord Ram was stunned to see this unexpected development and tried to stop Sita from entering the earth but could catch her hair only. This story of Sita’s second exile is emotionally narrated by Valmiki in his Ramayana
This was a small sleepy village, known as ‘Sitamarhi’. The locals believed that Sita had descended into the earth at this very place, situated next to Valmiki Ashram , a little distance away from the Ganga. Swami Jitendranandji surprised to see that the earthen mound could not be washed away though a water stream had been flowing regularly at the place for centuries together. Swamiji decided to break his journey and stay there. He cleansed a portion of that mound and started meditating there. He felt some vibrations and realized the bliss of Sita. Then he found a typical grass grown on the slope of the hillocks which was worshipped by the local womanfolk as the sacred hair of Maa Sita.There are three factors which prove that this was indeed the place where Sitaji had descended into the earth.
- Sita was abandoned near Valmiki Ashram during her exile, and the Ashram stands in Sitamarhi.
- It was situated on the banks of the holy Ganga as described in the epic Ramayana and could be reached on a chariot from Ayodhya in a day. Valmiki has explained the geographical position of his ashram near the confluence of Tamsa and Ganga.
- The author of Ram Charit Manas , Goswami Tulsidas had visited this place while travelling from Varanasi (Kashi ) to Allahabad (Prayag) and stayed for three days. He described the location of Sitamarhi between Baripur and Digpur. The two villages still exist and testify the location. He explained the location in his Kavitawali Uttarkand couplet 138.
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