The Abduction of Sita

Sung by Monimala Chitrakar.

Title: The Abduction of Sita
Artist: Hazra Chitrakar
Dimensions (cm): 207 x 56

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Ram Prince of Ayodhya and hero of the Ramayana, he is depicted as a human hero and as an avatara or incarnation of Vishnu, usually counted as the seventh incarnation in a list of ten. He married Sita and was to assume the throne but, due to palace intrigue, was exiled to the forest, where he was accompanied by his wife and younger brother Lakshmana. There they experienced many adventures, namely the abduction of Sita by Ravana. was married with all the rituals. He had to go to the forest to honour his father’s promise. Ram went ahead, followed by Janakia patronymic of Sita.  Lakshman, the archer went behind her. The heat of the Sun above, the hot sand underfoot;  Sita The heroine of the Ramayana, and wife of Rama; as an incarnation of Lakshmi she represents prosperity, the earth and the Goddess. After being abducted by the demon Ravana and held captive, he hopes to convince her to marry him. Sita is finally rescued and brought back to Rama, but he suspects of her fidelity and she has to assert her purity by the ordeal of fire. On their return to his throne at Ayodhya he distrusts her again and banishes her, who, deeply wounded, calls her mother earth; the ground opened, and she was taken back into the source from which she had sprung. Rama was now extremely unhappy and decided to quit his mortal life. the soft (sheltered) woman couldn’t walk.

The heat of the Sun above, the hot sand underfoot;  Sita the soft (sheltered) woman couldn’t walk. Lakhman broke off a thick branch and advised her to walk slowly with the help of that.

They reached Panchabatior Panchavati, a place in the great southern forest near the sources of the Godavari, where Rama passed a long period of his banishment. forest where Lakhsman built a hut made of leaves.  There Ram and Sita played a game of dice, guarded by Lakhsman.

Shurpanakhasister of the demon king Ravana. Infatuated with Rama who is in love with his wife Sita, she appeals to her older brother Ravana to avenge her humiliation, while enchanting him with descriptions of Sita’s beauty. Her oncle, Maricha, takes the form of a golden deer, captivating Sita who sends Lakshmana, her protector, to go to Rama’s aid. had come to cull flowers. Lakshman cut off her nose. She went to her brother Ravanademon king of Lanka and the villain of the Ramayana, he is depicted as having ten heads. He abducts Sita while she is in exile with her husband Rama in the forest, and carries her off to his homeland. Rama arrives with army of allies and Ravana fights until he dies at Rama’s hands. with her nose in her hand and rolled at his feet.

The clever Ravana lost his temper, seeing the sorry state of his sister. He started fuming.

He summoned Marichor Marica, name of the uncle of Ravana, a demon who, according to the Ramayana (long poem attributed to the Brahmin sage Valmiki), practised austerities in a forest hermitage. Ravana persuaded his uncle to aid him in his plan to abduct Rama’s wife Sita by disguising himself in the form of a deer to lure away Rama and Lakshmana so that Ravana would find Sita alone and ordered him to go to Panchabati where the trio was. He should call for Lakshman in Ram’s voice when Ram went to catch him.

Being asked to do that, Marich turned into a magic deer and went to dance in front of the hut. Chandramukhi (the moon-faced beauty—Sita) asked Ram to get her the beautiful deer to make her happy.

Ram was unable to refuse her request and went to catch the deer. As he ran after the deer it almost flew away.

The magic deer now cried out in Ram’s voice—oh I am being killed, come my brother Lakkshman. Sita heard the calls.

Where are you, brother Lakkshman, take this pan and go and look for your elder brother. But my brother had asked me to guard you my dear. Why are you asking me to go away?

I know why you don’t want to go. If Ram dies, you will be my husband. Lakkshman
Put both hands to his ears. Shame on you Sita—you are my mother Sumitra, Ram is my father.

Come oh daughter of the sage, come and promise me. I am drawing a circle round the hut. If you cross the line you will be in serious trouble. The world will be upside down and you will suffer later.

Drawing the circle, as soon as Laksshman left, Ravana came from under the banyan tree. Give me some alms oh Laksmi. I go to every house. But I am very scared of your husband Ram. Ravana wanted to die when he didn’t get alms. Sita was scared of being responsible for his death. She thought Ram would definitely have given him alms. So she crossed the line.

After taking the alms Ravana grabbed her hands, scaring her and took her on the chariot.

He went straight to Lanka. On the way, they ran into Jatayu, King Dasharath’s friend who looked at them and swallowed them.  Ravana told him—your friend’s daughter in law Sita is on the chariot … Jatayu was ashamed to learn this and quickly regurgitated the chariot.  Ravana hit him with a lethal weapon and he was fell on the ground.