59-519: Maithils , an ethno-linguistic group native to India and Nepal Maithil Brahmin , a community within the Maithils Maithili language , an Indo-Aryan language spoken in India and Nepal Maithili script or Mithilakshar, the traditional writing system used to write Maithili Maithili literature Maithili music Maithili Express ,
118-500: A svayamvara ceremony at his capital with the condition that she would marry only a prince who would possess the strength to string the Pinaka , the bow of the deity Shiva . Many princes attempted and failed to string the bow. During this time, Vishvamitra had brought Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the forest for the protection of a yajna (ritual sacrifice). Hearing about the svayamvara , Vishvamitra asked Rama to participate in
177-547: A Maithili speaking majority and consists of most of the Maithili speaking areas of Nepal. It has been demanded by some Mithila activists that Province No. 2 be named 'Mithila Province'. Province no. 2 was given the name Madhesh Province on 17 January 2022. The common language of the Maithil people is Maithili , which is one of the recognised regional languages of India and the second national language of Nepal listed in
236-516: A form of Vishnu and departed to perform penance at the mountain Mahendra. The wedding entourage then reached Ayodhya, entering the city amid great fanfare. Some time after the wedding, Kaikeyi , Rama's stepmother, compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king, prompted by the coaxing of her maid Manthara , and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile in the forests of Dandaka and later Panchavati. Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced
295-452: A heavy heart, he instructed him to take Sita to a forest outside Ayodhya and leave her there. Thus Sita was forced into exile a second time. Sita, who was pregnant, was given refuge in the hermitage of Valmiki , where she delivered twin sons named Kusha and Lava . In the hermitage, Sita raised her sons alone, as a single mother. They grew up to be valiant and intelligent and were eventually united with their father. Once she had witnessed
354-690: A magnificent deer to lure Sita. Sita, attracted to its golden glow asked her husband to make it her pet. When Rama and Lakshmana went far away from the hut, Ravana kidnapped Sita, disguising himself as a mendicant. Some versions of the Ramayana describe Sita taking refuge with the fire-god Agni , while Maya Sita , her illusionary double, is kidnapped by the demon-king. Jatayu , the vulture-king, tried to protect Sita but Ravana chopped off his wings. Jatayu survived long enough to inform Rama of what had happened. Ravana took Sita back to his kingdom in Lanka and she
413-554: A mail/express type train of Indian Railways Maithili New Year , in the Maithili calendar Maithili Sharan (born 1953), Indian mathematician Maithili Sharan Gupt (1886-1964), Indian poet in Hindi Maithili Menon, fictional Indian spymaster in the YRF Spy Universe , portrayed by Revathi See also [ edit ] Mithila (disambiguation) Maithili Karna Kayasthak Panjik Sarvekshan ,
472-817: A part of a yagna and adopted her. The word Sīta was a poetic term, which signified fertility and the many blessings coming from settled agriculture. The Sita of the Ramayana may have been named after a more ancient Vedic goddess Sita, who is mentioned once in the Rigveda as an earth goddess who blesses the land with good crops. In the Vedic period , she was one of the goddesses associated with fertility. Rigveda 4.53.6, addressed to Agricultural Divinities, states "Become inclined our way, well-portioned Furrow. We will extol you, so that you will be well-portioned for us, so that you will be well-fruited for us." -Translated by Jamison and Brereton In Harivamsa , Sita
531-422: A position entirely subordinate to Rama. However, in the worship of Radha Krishna, Radha is often preferred over to Krishna, and in certain traditions, her name is elevated to a higher position compared to Krishna's. The Janaki Ramayana is written by Pandit Lal Das . In this poetic form version, Sita is the central character of the epic. The life of Goddess Sita and her infinite powers have been described from
590-657: A research study on the available ancient manuscripts in the Mithila region Mithila (region) , Bihar, India, inhabited by the Maithils Mythili (born 1988), Indian actress Purvottar maithili Tirhuta Panchang , the calendar followed by the Maithils mai:सम्मुख पन्ना , Maithili-language Misplaced Pages All pages with titles containing Maithili Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
649-418: A similar fate of being separated from her husband during pregnancy. The male bird was reborn as the washerman. While the Ramayana mostly concentrates on Rama's actions, Sita also speaks many times during the exile. The first time is in the town of Chitrakuta where she narrates an ancient story to Rama, whereby Rama promises to Sita that he will never kill anybody without provocation. The second time Sita
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#1732765566293708-520: A war to defeat Ravana. Upon rescue, Rama makes Sita undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity. In some versions of the Ramayana , during this test the fire-god Agni appears in front of Rama and attests to Sita's purity, or hands over to him the real Sita and declares it was Maya Sita who was abducted by Ravana. The Thai version of the Ramayana, however, tells of Sita walking on the fire, of her own accord, to feel clean, as opposed to jumping in it. She
767-546: Is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic Ramayana . Sita is the consort of Rama , the avatar of god Vishnu , and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi . She is the chief goddess of the Ramanandi Sampradaya and is the goddess of beauty and devotion. Sita's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Sita Navami . Described as the daughter of Bhūmi (the earth), Sita
826-488: Is abducted by Ravana , the Rakshasa king of Lanka . She is imprisoned in the garden of Ashoka Vatika , in Lanka, until she is rescued by Rama, who slays her captor. After the war, in some versions of the epic, Rama asks Sita to undergo Agni Pariksha (an ordeal of fire ), by which she proves her chastity, before she is accepted by Rama, which for the first time makes his brother Lakshmana angry at him. In some versions of
885-630: Is an important goddess in the Vaishnavite traditions of Hinduism. Regarded as the avtara of goddess Lakshmi , she finds her mention in various scriptures and text of Hindu traditions. Sita is the primary character of the minor Upanishad Sita Upanishad , which is attached to the Atharva Veda , It identifies Sita with primordial Prakriti (nature) and her three powers, asserts the text, are manifested in daily life as will ( iccha ), action ( kriyā ) and knowledge ( jnana ). Sita appears in
944-456: Is brought up as the adopted daughter of King Janaka of Videha . Sita, in her youth, chooses Rama, the prince of Ayodhya as her husband in a swayamvara . After the swayamvara , she accompanies her husband to his kingdom, but later chooses to accompany her husband, along with her brother-in-law Lakshmana , in his exile. While in exile, the trio settles in the Dandaka forest from where she
1003-456: Is disputed as many consider Sitamarhi as her birthplace. There was a movement in the Madhesh region which is predominantly a Maithili and Bhojpuri speaking region of Nepal for a separate province. Province No. 2 was established under the 2015 Constitution, which transformed Nepal into a Federal Democratic Republic, with a total of 7 provinces. Province No. 2 (now Madhesh Province ) has
1062-403: Is exclusively focused on her romantic relationship with her lover", giving two contrasting role models from two ends of the moral universe. Yet they share common elements as well. Both face life challenges and are committed to their true love. They are both influential, adored and beloved goddesses in the Hindu culture. In worship of Rama, Sita is represented as a dutiful and loving wife, holding
1121-478: Is invoked as one of the names of the goddess Arya: O goddess, you are the altar's center in the sacrifice, The priest's fee Sita to those who hold the plough And Earth to all living being. The Kausik-sutra and the Paraskara-sutra associate her repeatedly as the wife of Parjanya (a god associated with rains) and Indra . Sita is known by many epithets. She is called Jānaki as
1180-543: Is not burnt, and the coals turn to lotuses. In the Uttara Kanda , following their return to Ayodhya, Rama was crowned as the king with Sita by his side. While Rama's trust and affection for Sita never wavered, it soon became evident that some people in Ayodhya could not accept Sita's long captivity under Ravana. During Rama's period of rule, an intemperate washerman , while berating his wayward wife, declared that he
1239-596: Is said to be the birthplace of Sita , the wife of Ram and incarnation of Lakshmi . Mithila first gained prominence after being settled by Indo-Aryan speaking peoples who established the Videha kingdom. During the late Vedic period (c. 1100–500 BCE), Videha became one of the major political and cultural centers of South Asia, along with Kuru and Pañcāla. The kings of the Videha Kingdom were called Janakas . The Videha Kingdom later became incorporated into
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#17327655662931298-520: Is shown talking prominently is when she speaks to Ravana. Ravana has come to her in the form of a mendicant and Sita tells him that he does not look like one. Some of her most prominent speeches are with Hanuman when he reaches Lanka. Hanuman wants an immediate union of Rama and Sita and thus he proposes to Sita to ride on his back. Sita refuses as she does not want to run away like a thief; instead she wants her husband Rama to come and defeat Ravana to save her. A female deity of agricultural fertility by
1357-530: Is thought to be the capital of ancient Mithila Kingdom . Maithils played a major role in building the Baidyanath Temple which is an important pilgrimage site for them. The adjoining districts of the eastern Terai form Nepalese Mithila. This area was part of the kingdom of Videha . The kingdom appears in the Ramayana . Many people claim Janakpur to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita but this
1416-455: Is viewed as the birthplace of Sita. Apart from Sitamarhi, Janakpur , which is located in the present-day Province No. 2 , Nepal , is also described as Sita's birthplace. Sita has a younger sister Urmila , born to Janaka and Sunayna, whom she was the closest among her three sisters. Her father's younger brother, Kushadhvaja daughters Mandavi and Shrutakirti grew up with them in Mithila. When Sita reached adulthood, Janaka conducted
1475-445: Is worshipped by the Maithils. Brahma Baba also called as Graama Devata is believed to be the protector God of the village. Similarly at every courtyards of the houses of Maithils, there is Gosaunik Ghar where Kuldevata of the family is worshipped. Maithils hold significant influence in the politics of both India and Nepal. They dominate the polity of Bihar, India's third most populous state, by virtue of their majority in 144 of
1534-575: The Indian subcontinent , who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the Mithila region , which comprises Northern and Eastern Bihar and Northeastern Jharkhand in India and some adjoining districts of Nepal constituting Madhesh Province in addition to some terai districts of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces . The Maithil region forms an important part of Hinduism as it
1593-941: The Puranas namely the Vishnu Purana and Padma Purana (as an avatar of Lakshmi ), the Matsya Purana (as form of Devi ), the Linga Purana (as form of Lakshmi), the Kurma Purana , Agni Purana , Garuda Purana (as consort of Rama), the Skanda Purana and the Shiva Purana . She also finds mention in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata . Sita along with Rama appears as
1652-756: The Vajjika League which was based in Vaishali . The Licchavis of Vaishali were one of the constituent tribes of the Vajjika league and the territory of the Licchavis formed a single territorial unit along with Videha and Mallakas . The Licchavis remained in Vaishali up to the Gupta period with the fourth century A.D. Gupta Emperor, Samudragupta , being the son of a Licchavi princess from Vaishali. From
1711-690: The 11th century to the 20th century, Mithila was ruled by various indigenous dynasties. The first were the Karnatas of Mithila who ruled from 1097-1324 A.D. They were followed by the Oiniwar dynasty who ruled from 1325–1526 A.D. During the Mughal-era , Mithila was controlled by a dynasty of zamindars called the Raj Darbhanga who were tributaries to the Mughals. It was during this period that
1770-642: The 243 constituencies of the Bihar Legislative Assembly . Maithils are the largest ethnolinguistic group in the Nepalese Madhesh Province and the second largest ethnolinguistic group in Province No. 1 . The following are notable residents (past and present) of Mithila region: Notes Sita Traditional Sita ( Sanskrit : सीता ; IAST : Sītā ), also known as Siya , Janaki and Maithili ,
1829-838: The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and the Interim Constitution of Nepal . The Tirhuta script , also known as the Mithilakshar script and Kaithi script was used as the original script of the language. However, during the 20th century most Maithili writers gradually adopted Devanagari script for Maithili. Some traditional pandits still use Tirhuta script for pātā (ceremonial letters related to important functions, such as marriage). Men and women in Mithila are very religious and dress for festivals as well. The costumes of Mithila stem from
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1888-444: The Hindu goddess Durga , a symbol of new beginnings and feminine power. During Chhaith, the women of Mithila wear pure cotton dhoti without stitching which reflects the pure, traditional Culture of Mithila. Usually crafted from pure cotton for daily use and from pure silk for more glamorous occasions, traditional attire for the women of Mithila includes Jamdani, Banarisi, Bhagalpuri and many more. Many festivals are celebrated throughout
1947-421: The Maithils is based on orthodox Hinduism as Mithila has historically been a principal seat of Hindu learning. Apart from main stream Hinduism, there are some local traditions of worshiping Baraham Baba and Gosaun Devata by them. In every village of the Mithila region , there is at least one common worship place Brahma Sthan also known as Dihawar Sthan attached to an old pipal tree , where Brahma Baba
2006-573: The acceptance of her children by Rama, Sita sought final refuge in the arms of her mother Bhūmi . Hearing her plea for release from an unjust world and from a life that had rarely been happy, the Earth dramatically split open; Bhūmi appeared and took Sita away. According to the Padma-puran , Sita's exile during her pregnancy was because of a curse during her childhood. Sita had caught a pair of divine parrots, which were from Valmiki's ashram, when she
2065-518: The beginning to the end. There are three Khandas in the Janaki Ramayana : Kathārambha , Lakshmikaanda and Radhakaanda . The Adbhuta Ramayana is written by Valmiki himself and is shorter than the original epic. Sita is accorded far more prominence in this variant of the Ramayana narrative. During the war, Sahastra Ravana shot an arrow at Rama, making him wounded and unconscious on the battle field. Seeing Rama unconscious and helpless on
2124-580: The capital of Mithila was moved to Darbhanga . Majority of Maithils normally reside north of the Ganges ; based around Darbhanga and the rest of North Bihar. Native Maithili speakers also reside in Delhi , Kolkata , Patna , Ranchi and Mumbai . Indian Mithila comprises Tirhut , Munger , Bhagalpur , Darbhanga , Kosi , and Purnia divisions of Bihar and Santhal Pargana division of Jharkhand. Darbhanga in particular played an important role in
2183-670: The central character in Valmiki Samhita , which is attributed to their worship and describes them to be the ultimate reality . In its chapter 5, a dialogue form between Sita and saptarishi , described to Parvati by Shiva is mentioned, known as the Maithili Mahopanishad . भूर्भुवः स्वः । सप्तद्वीपा वसुमती । त्रयो लोकाः । अन्तरिक्षम् । सर्वे त्वयि निवसन्ति । आमोदः । प्रमोदः । विमोदः । सम्मोदः । सर्वांस्त्वं सन्धत्से । आञ्जनेयाय ब्रह्मविद्या प्रदात्रि धात्रित्वां सर्वे वयं प्रणमामहे प्रणमामहे ॥ The sages said: "In
2242-726: The ceremony with the consent of Janaka, who agreed to offer Sita's hand in marriage to the prince if he could fulfil the requisite task. When the bow was brought before him, Rama seized the centre of the weapon, fastened the string taut, and broke it in two in the process. Witnessing his prowess, Janaka agreed to marry his daughter to Rama and invited Dasharatha to his capital. King Dasharatha arrived in Mithila for his son's wedding and noticed that Lakshmana had feelings for Urmila, but according to tradition, Bharata and Mandavi were to marry first. He then arranged for Bharata to marry Mandavi and Shatrughna to marry Shrutakirti, allowing Lakshmana to marry Urmila. Ultimately, all four sisters married
2301-442: The comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile. The Panchavati forest became the scene for Sita's abduction by Ravana, King of Lanka. The scene started with Shurpanakha 's love for Rama. However Rama refused her, stating that he was devoted to Sita. This enraged the demoness and she tried to kill Sita. Lakshmana cut Shurpanakha's nose and sent her back. Ravana, to kidnap Sita, made a plan. Maricha , his uncle, disguised himself as
2360-615: The complete procedure to worship Sita-Rama, Tulsidas's Vinaya Patrika has devotional hymns dedicated to her. Ramananda through his conversation with disciple Surasurananda in Vaishnava Matabja Bhaskara , explains about the worship of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana. Kalidasa 's Raghuvamsa gives a detail account of Sita's swayamvara, abduct and her exile, in the cantos 10 to 15. The Sita-Rama and Radha-Krishna pairs represent two different personality sets, two perspectives on dharma and lifestyles, both cherished in
2419-399: The daughter of Janaka and Maithili as the princess of Mithila. As the wife of Rama, she is called Ramā . Her father Janaka had earned the sobriquet Videha due to his ability to transcend body consciousness; Sita is therefore also known as Vaidehi . The birthplace of Sita is disputed. The Sita Kund pilgrimage site which is located in present-day Sitamarhi district , Bihar, India,
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2478-695: The earthly realm, the celestial space, and the heavenly realms, and in the seven continents on Earth, in the three worlds—heaven, mortal, and the netherworld. All these, including space and the sky, reside within you. You embody joy, delight, exhilaration, and bliss. Oh ultimate embodiment of Dhatrī! bestower of the Brahmavidya to Lord Hanuman! Oh sustainer of all realms, Sri Sita! We bow to you repeatedly." Apart from other versions of Ramayana , many 14th-century Vaishnava saints such as Nabha Dass , Tulsidas and Ramananda have mentioned Sita, in their works. While Ramananda's Sri Ramarchan Paddati explains
2537-466: The epic, Maya Sita , an illusion created by Agni , takes Sita's place and is abducted by Ravana and suffers his captivity, while the real Sita hides in the fire. Some scriptures also mention her previous birth being Vedavati , a woman Ravana tries to molest. After proving her purity, Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya, where they are crowned as king and queen. One day, a man questions Sita's fidelity and in order to prove her innocence and maintain his own and
2596-404: The field, Sita gives up her human appearance and takes the horrific form of Mahakali . In less than a second, she severed Sahastra Ravana's 1000 heads and began destroying rakshasas everywhere. Sita is eventually pacified by the gods, Rama's consciousness is restored and the story moves forward. The Sanskrit play Mahaviracharita by Bhavabhuti is based on the early life of Rama. According to
2655-400: The four brothers, strengthening the alliance between the two kingdoms. A wedding ceremony was conducted under the guidance of Shatananda. During the homeward journey to Ayodhya, another avatar of Vishnu, Parashurama , challenged Rama to combat, on the condition that he was able to string the bow of Vishnu, Sharanga . When Rama obliged him with success, Parashurama acknowledged the former to be
2714-478: The history of Mithila and is considered one of its "core centers". It was the center of Raj Darbhanga who ruled most of the region. Madhubani was also where Madhubani paintings originated from which is a major part of Maithil culture. Sitamarhi is claimed by many to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita with Sita Kund being a major pilgrimage site. Baliraajgadh, situated in present-day Madhubani district in Bihar
2773-478: The king and the land. Sita is a personification of Earth's fertility, abundance, and well-being. In the Ramcharitmanas , Tulsidas called Sita the regulator of the universe and added, "I bow to Sita, the beloved consort of Sri Rama, who is responsible for the creation, sustenance, and dissolution (of the universe), removes afflictions and begets all blessings." — Balkand, Manglacharan, Shloka 5 Sita
2832-511: The kingdom's dignity, Rama sends Sita into the forest near the sage Valmiki 's ashram. Years later, Sita returns to the womb of her mother, the Earth, for release from a cruel world and as a testimony of her purity, after she reunites her two sons Kusha and Lava with their father Rama. The goddess is best known by the name "Sita", derived from the Sanskrit word sīta , furrow . According to Ramayana , Janaka found her while ploughing as
2891-399: The name Sita was known before Valmiki's Ramayana , but was overshadowed by better-known goddesses associated with fertility. According to Ramayana , Sita was discovered in a furrow when Janaka was ploughing. Since Janaka was a king, it is likely that ploughing was part of a royal ritual to ensure fertility of the land. Sita is considered to be a child of Mother Earth, produced by union between
2950-487: The play, Vishwamitra invites Janaka to attend his sacrifice, but he sends his brother Kushadhvaja and daughters Sita and Urmila, as his delegates. This is the place, where Rama and Sita met for the first time. By the end of the act, Kushadhvaja and Vishwamitra decide to marry Sita and Urmila to Rama and Lakshamana. Saptakanda Ramayana written by Madhava Kandali is a version of Ramayana known for its non-heroic portrayal of Rama, Sita, and other characters, which rendered
3009-470: The rich traditional culture of Mithila. Kurta and Dhoti with a Mithila Painting bordered Maroon coloured Gamchha which is the Symbol of Passion, Love, Bravery and Courage are common clothing items for men. Men wear a Gold ring on their nose which symbolizes prosperity, happiness and wealth inspired by Lord Vishnu . Also, wear a Balla on their wrist and Mithila Paag on their Head. In ancient times there
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#17327655662933068-609: The title Maithili . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maithili&oldid=1220858771 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Language and nationality disambiguation pages Maithils Maithils ( Devanagari : मैथिल), also known as Maithili people , are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from
3127-400: The way of life called Hinduism . Sita is traditionally wedded: the dedicated and virtuous wife of Rama , an introspective temperate paragon of a serious, virtuous man. Radha is a power potency of Krishna , who is a playful adventurer. Sita and Radha offer two templates within the Hindu tradition. If "Sita is a queen, aware of her social responsibilities", states Pauwels, then "Radha
3186-552: The work unsuitable for religious purposes. Sita in Hinduism , is revered as the goddess of beauty and devotion. She is mostly depicted along with her husband Rama and is shakti or prakriti of Rama, as told in the Ram Raksha Stotram . Mithila art , that originated at Sita's birthplace depicts Sita and Rama's marriage ceremony through the paintings. In Rama and Sita's temple, she is always placed on Rama's right, with
3245-474: The year in Mithila. Chhath Puja , Durga Puja and Kali puja is celebrated as perhaps the most important of all the celebrations of Mithila. Traditionally Maithils lived in Badaghars called longhouses with big families of many generations, sometimes 40–50 people. All household members pool their labour force, contribute their income, share the expenditure and use one kitchen. The religious practices of
3304-412: Was "no pusillanimous Rama who would take his wife back after she had lived in the house of another man". The common folk started gossiping about Sita and questioned Ram's decision to make her queen. Rama was extremely distraught on hearing the news, but finally told Lakshmana that as a king, he had to make his citizens pleased and the purity of the queen of Ayodhya has to be above any gossip and rumour. With
3363-422: Was held as a prisoner in one of his palaces. During her captivity for a year in Lanka, Ravana expressed his desire for her; however, Sita refused his advances. Hanuman was sent by Rama to seek Sita and eventually succeeded in discovering Sita's whereabouts. Sita gave Hanuman her jewellery and asked him to give it to her husband. Hanuman returned across the sea to Rama. Sita was finally rescued by Rama, who waged
3422-463: Was no colour option in Mithila, so the Maithil women wore white or yellow Saree with a red Border but now they have a lot of variety and colour options and wear Laal-Paara (the traditional red-boarded white or yellow Saree ) on some special occasions, and also wear Shakha-Pola with a lanthi in their hand which is Mandatory to wear after marriage in Mithila. In Mithila culture, this represents new beginnings, passion and prosperity. Red also represents
3481-471: Was young. The birds were talking about a story of Sri Ram heard in Valmiki 's ashram, which intrigued Sita. She has the ability to talk with animals. The female bird was pregnant at that time. She requested Sita to let them go, but Sita only allowed her male companion to fly away, and the female parrot died because of the separation from her companion. As a result, the male bird cursed Sita that she would suffer
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