नवीनतम
Janaki Jayanti today: History and significance
Janaki Jayanti, the festival marking the birth of Goddess Sita, is observed with great fervour and enthusiasm by her devotees. Sita is also known as Janaki as her father was King Janak of Mithila.
The birth of Lord Ram’s wife is of great significance and the date falls on the Ashtami Tithi (eighth day) of Phalguna in Krishna Paksha according to the Purnimant calendar.
If one follows the Amavasyant calendar, Janaki Jayanti falls on the Ashtami Tithi of Magha in Krishna Paksha. On this auspicious day, married women observe a fast for the long lives and well-being of their husbands.
Janaki Jayanti is also known as Sita Ashtami.
On this day, devotees worship Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and Lakshman. Huge celebrations and various rituals are held at various temples of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, like Maha Aarti, Maha Abhishekam, and Sringaar Darshan are held. Apart from it, Bhajans, kirtans and recitals of Ramayan are held at several places
Goddess Sita is revered as the epitome of purity, sacrifice, dedication, courage, and patience. It is believed that women who observe the fast on Sita Navami are bestowed with the divine blessings of the Goddess and a blissful married life. Janaki Jayanti is mostly celebrated in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
Janaki Jayanti: Tithi
This year, Janaki Jayanti will be celebrated on 6 March. The tithi for the day has started at 7.54 pm on 5 March and is going to end at 6.10 pm on Saturday.
Janaki Jayanti: significance
Goddess Sita is one of the most highly regarded goddesses in the Hindu religion. She is the daughter of Bhumi or the earth goddess and was found in the land by King Janak. Thereafter, Janak ended up adopting her as his eldest daughter along with his wife Queen Sunayana.
The royal couple brought Sita up and organised her swayamvar where she got married to Lord Ram. Sita was given the liberty to choose her groom on the basis of an act of courage and valour.
Sita is also the mother of twin brothers Lav and Kush, whom she brought up alone in an ashram as she was exiled from Ayodhya. However, years later, when Ram came to know about the presence of his sons, he called Sita and the twins back to the kingdom.
But the common people wanted Sita to again walk through the fire to prove her fidelity. Sita refused to take part in such ordeals and called upon her birth mother. The whole kingdom watched in sorrow and repentance as the earth divided in two and Bhumi emerged to take her daughter with her.
It was only after she left that the people realised their mistake in asking her to prove her chastity again and again.
