Importance Of Sita Navami

The ninth day of the Shukla paksha in the month of Vaishakha is celebrated as Sita Navami. According to the Gregorian calendar, Sita Navami falls on the 4th of May in the year 2017. Sita Navami is the day when Mata Sita was born on earth.

Mata Sita appeared on earth exactly one month after the birth of Lord Rama who was born on the ninth day of the Shukla Paksha in the month of Chaitra. The day that Lord Rama was born is celebrated as Rama Navami.

Lord Rama is considered to be the perfect man - 'Maryada Purushottam'. Lord Maha Vishnu took the Avatar of Lord Rama to teach the world about moral values and dharma. He is seen as the epitome of manhood and portrays the character of an ideal man.

Mata Sita is the perfect counterpart to Lord Rama. She is celebrated as the ideal for womanhood. Even in the modern context, Mother Sita comes across as a strong and independent woman.

Mother Sita is believed to be the avatar of Goddess Maha Lakshmi who accompanies the avatar of Lord Maha Vishnu. Mata Sita stands for sacrifice, courage, purity, dedication and loyalty. She charted a path that every devotee should try to follow for a life of honour and dedication.

Story Of Sita's Birth

Mata Sita was the daughter of King Janaka and Queen Sunayana who ruled the Kingdom of Mithila. Mithila was facing a period of drought and the King decided to perform a Yagnya. This Yagnya would help please the Gods and would bring rains to the water-starved country. For the Yagnya, the land had to be ploughed first. King Janaka was using a plough to till the land and then the plough struck something metallic.

Upon digging further, a casket was obtained. When it was opened, they were all surprised to find a baby girl in it. King Janaka and Queen Sunayana decided to raise the baby as their own. With the baby's first cries, heavy rains graced the land and the period of drought was finally over.

As the casket was obtained from the earth, Sita is considered to be the daughter of Mother Earth or 'Bhoomi Devi'. Due to this, Sita is also known as Bhoomija. As King Janaka became the adoptive father of Sita, She was called Janaki. As the princess of Mithila, she was also named Maithili. The name Sita literally means the plough, as it was what was used to discover her from under the earth's surface.

Sita Navami

Sita Navami is a day that is very important to all the devotees of Lord Rama and Mata Sita. As Mata Sita is a form of Goddess Maha Lakshmi, she is worshipped by the devotees of Goddess Maha Lakshmi too.

Mata Sita is a symbol of purity, chastity and fertility. The Hindus consider her to be the mother of all living beings. The devotees of Mata Sita are blessed with wealth, health, intelligence and prosperity.

Women worship Mata Sita for the long lives of their husbands. Childless couples pray to the Goddess to obtain healthy offsprings. If you are a devotee of Lord Rama, worshipping Mata Sita will make you even dearer to him. If you worship Mata Sita, Lord Hanuman will bless you and will be at your side.

Celebration Of Sita Navami

Sita Navami is celebrated with a lot of devotion, love and excitement. Lord Rama, his brother Lakshmana and Lord Hanuman are also worshipped along with Mata Sita on this day. The sites that are most famous for being connected to Sita Navami are: Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, Sita Samahit Sthal in Bihar, Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh and Rameshwaram in Tamilnadu.

Sita Navami is celebrated at a very large scale at these places. In temples dedicated to Lord Rama and Sita, Aarti, Maha Abhishek and Darshan are done. Ratha Yatras that take the idols of Lord Rama, Mata Sita, Lord Hanuman and Laksmana happen in various holy sites that are dedicated to Mata Sita.

The holy text, Ramayana, is read in huge gatherings. Satsangs are conducted around the Subcontinent. Bhajans and kirtan are also performed on the day of Sita Navami.

How To Perform The Sita Navami Vrat And Pooja

A mandap for the pooja is erected. It must have four pillars that support it. Idols of Lord Rama, Mata Sita, Lord Hanuman, King Janaka and Mata Sunayana are installed in the Mandap. A small toy plough and some mud are also placed in it. The pooja is performed using sesame seeds, barley and rice. The stories and facts about Goddess Sita and her life are read with true devotion and love.

People also observe a fast on Sita Navami. It is women who often keep the fast for the long life of their husbands. Unmarried women do it to obtain a husband like Lord Rama. Lord Rama and Mata Sita are worshipped together by couples to have a married and prosperous life like that of the divine couple.

The people who perform the Vrat are blessed with qualities such as dedication, sacrifice and modesty. Childless women also perform a fast to be blessed with children soon.