Can Sita, The Spiritual Deity of Mithila Become The Icon Of Global Feminism
As a very young boy, I was told the tales of Sita — the girl who was born in a field when the king Janak himself ploughed the earth to appease the gods and pray for rains and the end of a terrible drought. Sita who was married off to Lord Ram who had to lift and break Shiva’s bow which all the other warriors could not even budge. And Sita would regularly lift the bow with one hand, during her daily cleaning and Puja. And I would marvel at the strength Sita may have had or was given to be able to do so.
The story of Sita is known to 130 crore plus Indians thanks to Ramayan, which is told and retold each year in every Indian home. Ma Kaikayi’s treachery to drive Lord Ram out of Ayodhya, Sita’s insistence to accompany her husband into the forest, the story of the golden deer, the revenge for Surpanakha’s bleeding ego; the entry of Ravana and the abduction of Sita once she had crossed the Lakshman Rekha; the flight to Lanka; Sita’s troubles in Ashok Vatika; Ram’s search for Sita and his partnership with Hanuman and the clues to locate Sita in Lanka followed by the war which sees Ravana killed along with his brothers/nephew, the burning of the golden Lanka and the return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya is enshrined into Indian culture through Diwali and the ceremonial burning of the Ravana effigies every year.
Sita’s life after returning from Lanka is however not that well known. Her life in the ashram after having been banished by Lord Ram is only briefly known. The story of her sons and their war with their father is known to even fewer people. And the final act where Lord Ram meets his sons but denigrates Sita forcing Sita to appeal to mother earth to subsume her so she can return to where she came from is known to even fewer people.
And even fewer, nay, only the real scholars of Ramayan know about the life of Sita before her marriage. Of her own “avatar” as a form of goddess Shakti. Of her valour in the battles before her marriage. Of her demolition of ‘Shahastra Ravan’ after the Lanka episode. Of her true divinity that is widely respected, admired and prayed to in her birthplace, Mithila.
Sita is indeed the icon and spirit of Mithila. Her favourite daughter. He favourite mother. Her favourite goddess. Her stories are what the girls of Mithila grow up with. Her ideal is what they aspire to become. All Mithila marriages celebrate the marriage of Sita & Ram and folk songs celebrate Sita’s life in all its dimensions. Most Maithil events resonate with “Jai Mithila, Jai Janaki” across the nation and even international shores.
It has been a great disservice to Sita that her life in all its dimensions has not been projected and her stature as an icon of Indian feminism not been promoted by our governments, priests and even scholars in a way it should have been. There are very few women icons from our history as compared to men. Sita should have been at the top of the list in all respects and India should have been celebrating her life through temples, songs, festivals and build up a global icon for women. Sadly, even her birthplace, Sitamarhi has not been given due importance and lacks a grand temple complex that would attract tens of thousands of visitors, an exhibition of her life stories, A/V presentations and 36-degree immersive Sita context.
In this context, the efforts of the Maithili diaspora to celebrate Sita’s life through ‘Janaki Navami’ festival and highlight the role and relevance of Sita for modern India is laudable. Just like Bal Gangadhar’s role in building Ganesh Chaturthi as a household and community festival in Maharashtra and Gurudev’s role in building Pujo as a household and community event in Bengal, if the Maithil community can take up Janaki Navami in a big coordinated way, over the next decade all of India will be celebrating Janaki Navami as a major festival and Sita will find her due place in the Indian cultural pantheon.
