What is Sita Navami?
Sita Navami is a very promising, favorable, and auspicious festival enjoyed by the Hindus. Like all other Hindu festivals celebrated in India, Sita Navami is also celebrated on a different day each year, in the year 2020, it was on 2nd May. In the year 2021 Sita Navami is on 21st May. Sita Navami is furthermore known as Janaki Navami. Sita Navami drops on the Navami Tithi (9th day) during the Shukla Paksha on the lunar month of Vaishaka (according to the Hindu Calendar Vaishaka is the second month and as per the Gregorian Calendar it is April and May.)
Why Sita Navami is celebrated?
As we all know that Devi Sita is a very beautiful, well-known, and important person in Ramayana (a Hindu epic that is filled with life lessons such as affection, courage, devotion). She is considered as the child of the earth (Dharti Maa/Bhudevi). Devi Sita is the Goddess of Sacrifice, Purity, Love, and Simplicity. (Literal meaning of word Sita- Furrow)
Sita Navami celebrates the birth anniversary of Sita Maa. Devi Sita is the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi (goddess of Wealth & prosperity), Goddess Lakshmi is the wife of Lord Vishnu and Devi Sita is the wife of Lord Rama, who is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Sita Navami falls exactly one month after Ram Navami. Ram Navami, 2021 was on 21st April. Devi Sita is the daughter of King Janaka (Videha) and her adoptive mother was Sunayana.
Birth of Devi Sita:-
Kingdom Videha was going through a terrible drought and Rishi Muni at that time told that the land would only flourish if King Janaka himself plow the field for the betterment and inprovement of the people & for better yield, Devi Sita was found in a furrow in the field during the process of Ploughing by the Maharaja. As King Janaka didn't have any child, he announced Devi Sita as his daughter and hence Devi Sita is also remembered as Vaidehi.
Devi Sita's Marriage:-
When Devi Sita was just a small little girl, Lord Parshuram saw Devi Sita playing, picking and able to string the Pinaka (bow of Lord Shiva) and then lord Parshuram recommended King Janaka to wed Devi Sita with a person who can hold up the Shiva Dhanusha when she gets bigger. When the time arrived, King Janaka composed a Svayamvara (a process in ancient India where a girl at a marriageable age picks her husband from the group of suitors.) With the condition as the lord Parshuram advised. A lot of Prince & kings came by and tried to pick the Bow of Lord Shiva but failed. Lord Rama was the only one to pick the bow up but also string it. And hence meeting the conditions, Devi Sita was married to Lord Rama.
How is Sita Navami celebrated?
On this encouraging day, All the married women observe an all-day-long fast for their husband's long life and they worship Devi Sita and Lord Rama by offering flowers and dhoop Puja and celebration are held at the temples of Lord Rama and Sita Maa. As Devi Sita is the incarnation of goddess Lakshmi, it is considered that if one worships Devi Sita then one will worship goddess Lakshmi as well and she will bless the person with love and wealth! Getting up early (before sunrise) on this day and taking bath for observing a fast is considered auspicious. One should recite or hear Sita Navami Vrat Katha during their fast. Devotees should perform aartis and pujas on this day.
जय सिया राम
5 Comments
It's very nice that modern blogger are taking initiative towards knowing Hindu culture. ;)
ReplyDeleteJai Sia Ram🙏very informative!Maa Lakshmi bless you with good health, wealth and happiness.keep it up!
ReplyDeleteGood!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, for the informative blog
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