Janaki · Siya · Daughter of the earth
Sita
Goddess Sita, Janaki, the daughter of King Janaka found in the furrow of his field, is the wife of Lord Rama and the heart of the Ramayana. Say the verse that bows to her, keep Vivah Panchami and Sita Navami, and see when her days fall in your city.
- Her days
- Every day
- Next: Today
- Next Sita day
- Diwali
- In 7 days · Sun 8 Nov
Mithila, where she was found
Janaka’s plough
King Janaka was ploughing a field for a sacrifice when a baby girl rose from the furrow. He raised her as his own daughter and named her “Sita”, the furrow: a daughter of the earth, not born of a womb.
Her stories →Broken at Janaka’s court
Shiva’s bow
Janaka had vowed to give his daughter only for valour, to the one who could string the great bow of Lord Shiva kept in his family. Kings could not even move it. Lord Rama lifted it, strung it and drew it, and it broke in the middle with a sound like thunder.
Her wedding, Vivah Panchami
The jaimala
In the Ramcharitmanas of Sant Goswami Tulsidas she puts the garland of victory, the jaimala, on Lord Rama once the bow is broken; in Valmiki’s Ramayana there is no garland, and Janaka gives her to Rama. Their wedding is kept on Vivah Panchami.
Ashok Vatika, Lanka
The Ashoka grove
Carried off by Ravana from Panchavati, Goddess Sita was kept in the Ashoka grove of Lanka, and would not give way to him for all his threats. At Sita Eliya in Sri Lanka a temple to her marks the place of her captivity.
Hanuman’s message
Rama’s ring
Lord Hanuman found her in the grove and gave her Lord Rama’s ring, marked with his name, so that she would trust him. She sent back the chudamani, the jewel of her hair, and the story of the crow at Chitrakuta that only Rama knew.
Home again
The lamps of Ayodhya
After the war she came home with Lord Rama and Lakshmana to Ayodhya, and the city lit rows of lamps to welcome them, a night many families remember at Diwali. At Kanak Bhawan, by tradition her palace, she is worshipped with Rama.
Her story in six steps along one furrow. Tap a step, or its name, to read it. One furrow across a ploughed field, out and back as a plough goes: from Janaka’s field in Mithila, where she was found, to Lanka and home to Ayodhya.
Her days, in your city
Dates and puja times for the city you pick
For New Delhi
The night she came home to Ayodhya with Lord Rama, welcomed with lamps.
- Every day
- Sun 1 NovHer days of the week
- Vivah Panchami
- Mon 14 Dec
- Ram Navami
- Thu 15 Apr11:04 am to 1:39 pm
Say the verse to her
उद्भवस्थितिसंहारकारिणीं क्लेशहारिणीम् ।
सर्वश्रेयस्करीं सीतां नतोऽहं रामवल्लभाम् ॥
Udbhava sthiti samhara karinim klesha harinim,
Sarva shreyaskarim Sitam nato’ham Rama vallabham.
I bow to Sita, beloved of Rama, who brings the world into being, keeps it and draws it back again, who takes away suffering and brings every good.
मैं राम की प्रिया सीता को नमन करता हूँ, जो संसार की उत्पत्ति, पालन और संहार करती हैं, क्लेश हरती हैं और सब प्रकार का कल्याण करती हैं।
The fifth of the seven Sanskrit verses with which Sant Goswami Tulsidas opens the Ramcharitmanas, his bow to Goddess Sita before he begins her story with Lord Rama. It is said on Sita Navami and Vivah Panchami. Her aartis and chalisa are not given here until their authorship is known.
Her prayers
- Udbhava Sthiti Samhara KarinimThe verse of the Ramcharitmanas that bows to her, given aboveSoon
- Shri Ram StutiSant Goswami Tulsidas’s Shri Ramachandra Kripalu, to RamaRead
- Ram Raksha StotraThe hymn of protection, which bows to Rama as the husband of SitaRead
A simple puja for Sita
Families differ in how they worship her; this is a simple way at home, on Sita Navami or Vivah Panchami or any day. She is worshipped with Lord Rama, as Sita Rama.
- Bathe, and make a sankalp, the vow of the day; many keep a fast.
- Set pictures of Goddess Sita and Lord Rama side by side on a clean cloth.
- Offer flowers and a garland, and shringar, the things a bride wears.
- Light a lamp, and say Om Sitayai Namah or the verse Udbhava Sthiti Samhara Karinim.
- Read or listen to her story in the Ramayana or the Ramcharitmanas.
- End with the aarti, and share the prasad.
What you need
- Pictures of Goddess Sita and Lord Rama
- Flowers and a garland
- Shringar, such as bangles and a red cloth
- A lamp of ghee
- Fruit and sweets for the prasad
- The Ramayana or the Ramcharitmanas
Prayers for the puja
Who is Sita
Goddess Sita is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila, found as a baby in the furrow of his field, and the wife of Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya. Her name means the furrow, and she is called Bhumija, born of the earth. She is held to be Goddess Lakshmi come to earth beside Rama, as Lord Vishnu’s seventh avatar.
She went with Lord Rama into fourteen years of exile in the forest, was carried off by Ravana from Panchavati and kept in the Ashoka grove of Lanka, and never gave way. Valmiki’s Ramayana and the Ramcharitmanas of Sant Goswami Tulsidas are the two great tellings of her story, and where they differ this page says so.
Goddess Sita is worshipped with Lord Rama as Sita Rama, above all on Vivah Panchami, her wedding day, and on Sita Navami, the day she was found. Her places run from Janakpur and Sitamarhi in Mithila to Panchavati, to Sita Eliya in Sri Lanka and home to Ayodhya.
- Janaki daughter of Janaka
- Siya as the Ramcharitmanas calls her
- Maithili the princess of Mithila
- Vaidehi of Videha, Janaka’s kingdom
- Bhumija born of the earth
- Ayonija not born of a womb
ॐ सीतायै नमः
Om Sitayai Namah
Om, I bow to Sita: the first of her 108 names, said on its own or counted on a mala.
ॐ, सीता को नमन: उनके एक सौ आठ नामों में पहला, जो अकेले भी जपा जाता है और माला पर भी।
जनकसुता जग जननि जानकी। अतिसय प्रिय करुनानिधान की॥
ताके जुग पद कमल मनावउँ। जासु कृपाँ निरमल मति पावउँ॥
Janakasuta jaga janani Janaki, atisaya priya karunanidhana ki,
Take juga pada kamala manavaun, jasu kripan niramala mati pavaun.
Janaki, daughter of Janaka, mother of the world, most dear to Rama, the treasure of compassion: I pray at her two lotus feet, by whose grace I may gain a clear mind.
जनक की पुत्री, जगत की माता और करुणा के भंडार श्रीराम की अत्यंत प्रिय जानकी के दोनों चरण कमलों की मैं वंदना करता हूँ, जिनकी कृपा से मुझे निर्मल बुद्धि मिले।
Her great days
When devotees worship her most
Sita Navami
Vaishakha Shukla Navami, the bright ninth of Vaishakha, in April or May, a month after Ram Navami: the day she was found in the furrow. Also called Janaki Navami. Many keep a fast and worship Goddess Sita and Lord Rama together.
Vivah Panchami
The bright fifth of Margashirsha, in November or December: her wedding to Lord Rama. Janakpur keeps it for a week and weds the two again, and Ayodhya celebrates with it.
Ram Navami
Lord Rama’s birthday in Chaitra. At Bhadrachalam on the Godavari it is also the day of their wedding, Sri Sitarama Kalyanam, held before crowds of devotees.
Diwali
The night she, Lord Rama and Lakshmana came home to Ayodhya after fourteen years, and the people lit rows of lamps to welcome them.
What her symbols mean
The furrow
She was found in the furrow of a ploughed field and named for it: the earth that feeds every life, patient and giving.
Shiva’s bow
Her hand was given only for valour, and the bow no king could move broke in Lord Rama’s hands: strength in the service of what is right.
The jaimala
The garland of her wedding in the Ramcharitmanas: a choice freely made and a bond kept through every trial.
The Ashoka grove
Held captive in Lanka, she would not give way: faith and steadfastness when all hope seems far away.
Rama’s ring
The ring that told her Lord Rama was coming: a promise kept, and hope brought across the sea.
The lamp
The lamps of Ayodhya that welcomed her home: light after long darkness.
Her stories
Across India
Mithila, Nepal and Bihar
Goddess Sita’s own country. Janakpur keeps Vivah Panchami for a week at the Janaki Mandir, and Punaura Dham near Sitamarhi is held to be the field where she was found.
Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh
Lord Rama’s city, where Goddess Sita came as a bride and came home again from Lanka. Kanak Bhawan, by tradition the palace Kaikeyi gave her after her wedding, is a temple of Sita and Rama.
Panchavati, Nashik
Their forest home on the Godavari in the years of exile, named for its five banyan trees, from which Ravana carried Goddess Sita off. Sita Gufa, a small cave near the Kalaram temple, is linked with her by tradition.
Bhadrachalam, Telangana
The wedding of Goddess Sita and Lord Rama is held again every year on Ram Navami, Sri Sitarama Kalyanam, before crowds of devotees.
Sri Lanka
By tradition Ravana kept Goddess Sita captive at Sita Eliya, near Nuwara Eliya, where a temple to her stands beside a stream.
Her temples
- Janaki Mandir, the Nau Lakha MandirJanakpur, Nepal
- Punaura Dham and Sita KundSitamarhi, Bihar
- Kanak BhawanAyodhya, Uttar Pradesh
- Sita Gufa, PanchavatiNashik, Maharashtra
- Sri Sita Ramachandraswamy TempleBhadrachalam, Telangana
- Seetha Amman TempleSita Eliya, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Questions
When is Vivah Panchami in 2026?
Vivah Panchami, the wedding day of Sita and Rama, is on Monday 14 December 2026 in New Delhi. Pick your city at the top of this page for its own date and muhurat.
Who is Goddess Sita?
Goddess Sita, or Janaki, is the daughter of King Janaka of Mithila, found as a baby in the furrow of his field, and the wife of Lord Rama. She is held to be Goddess Lakshmi come to earth, and is the heart of the Ramayana.
Why is she called Janaki?
Janaki means the daughter of Janaka. She is also Maithili, the princess of Mithila; Vaidehi, of Videha, Janaka’s kingdom; and Siya, as the Ramcharitmanas calls her.
When is Sita Navami?
On Vaishakha Shukla Navami, the bright ninth of Vaishakha, in April or May, a month after Ram Navami. It is also called Janaki Navami.
Where was Goddess Sita born?
She was not born but found, in the furrow of Janaka’s field. Punaura Dham near Sitamarhi in Bihar is held to be the place, and Janakpur in Nepal, Janaka’s capital, also keeps her as its own.
Which day is Goddess Sita’s?
Sources do not agree on a day of the week for her, so every day is hers. In the year her great days are Sita Navami, Vivah Panchami, and Ram Navami and Diwali with Lord Rama.
What is Goddess Sita’s mantra?
Om Sitayai Namah, the first of her 108 names. Many also say the verse with which Sant Goswami Tulsidas opens the Ramcharitmanas, Udbhava Sthiti Samhara Karinim.
What did Lord Hanuman give Goddess Sita?
Lord Rama’s ring, marked with his name, in the Ashoka grove of Lanka. She gave him the chudamani, the jewel of her hair, to take back to Rama.