Sita Navami
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| Sita Navami | |
|---|---|
 Image depicting the manifestation of Sita from the Earth | |
| Also called | Janaki Navami, Sita Jayanti, Janaki Jayanti |
| Type | Hindu |
| Observances | Puja, Vrata (fast), recitation of the Ramayana and other versions, Sita Puja |
| Date | 16th May 2024 |
| Frequency | Annual |
Sita Navami (Sanskrit: सीतानवमी, romanized: Sītānavamī) is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of the goddess Sita, one of the most popular deities in Hinduism, and an incarnation of the goddess Lakshmi. It is celebrated on the navami (ninth day) of the Shukla Paksha (first lunar fortnight) of the Hindu month of Vaishakha.[1]
Legend
[edit]According to the Ramayana, the infant Sita appeared or manifested from a divine earthen pot in the kingdom of Mithila from a farm field to King Siradhvaja Janaka and Queen Sunayana.[2] According to regional tradition, this site is identified to be at the Punaura Dham of the Sitamarhi district of Bihar, India. The date and time of the manifestation of the infant Sita is recorded as the ninth day of Shukla Navami in the Vaishakha month of Pushya nakshatra in the Ramayana. It is said that when King Siradhvaja Janaka was ploughing the land with a plow, a part of his plough got stuck in the earth. On digging that place, he found an infant girl in an earthen pot. A tip of the plow is called Sita, and hence the girl was named Sita and was adopted as the king's daughter.[3] Sita later married Rama, the seventh incarnation of Vishnu. Sita is revered for her loyalty, devotion and sacrifice to her husband. She is considered the epitome of womanhood and is regarded as the ideal wife and mother in the Indian subcontinent.[3]
Description
[edit]Sita Navami celebrates the anniversary date of the appearance or manifestation of Sita. On the occasion of Sita Navami, married women fast for their husbands's long life.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sita Navami 2024: Plant Parijat for happiness and prosperity". The Times of India. 2024-04-30. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
- ^ Publishing, Bloomsbury (2011-09-13). Religious Celebrations: An Encyclopedia of Holidays, Festivals, Solemn Observances, and Spiritual Commemorations [2 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. p. 457. ISBN 978-1-59884-206-7.
- ^ a b "Sita Navami 2023: Date, history, significance and all you need to know". The Economic Times. 2023-04-28. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2024-05-05.
- ^ "Sita Navami 2024 : सीता नवमी कब है? नोट कर लें डेट, पूजा- विधि, शुभ मुहूर्त और महत्व". Hindustan (in Hindi). Retrieved 2024-05-05.