This year the scorching heat of summer had left us numb and
we could not reject the offer of visiting Sitamarhi, a spot blessed with the
cool surroundings of greenery.
1.Mythological
importance
Situated on the banks of Ganges near Allahabad(,U.P.India),Sitamarhi
owes its tourist importance to the Hindu mythology.
The mythology tells us about the story
of Rama, the Avatar and his wife, Sita,
the embodiment of chastity and sacrifice. Rama and Sita were happily married
and were made for each other. But the curses of Naradamuni in Rama’s previous life had
predestined their separation and they were sent to exile for
fourteen years. During this period, Sita had been kidnapped by Ravana, the tyrant
of Lanka. With the help of Hanuman and the army of monkeys, Rama ,the noted icon for ideal conduct and
high morals, recovered Sita from the
clutches of Ravana and tried to keep his chin up when Sita ‘s chastity was
questioned by the public. Once more he sent Sita back to exile and his two
sons, Luv and Kush were born in the forest under the full divine protection. By
the twist of destiny ,Rama met his two sons and his dear wife while conducting
Ashwamedh yajnya .Saint Valmiki
introduced his sons to him and asked him to take his beloved wife back with
him. But Rama, swayed by the comments of his subjects ,refused to accept her
and asked for one more trial of her chastity. Sita became too much upset and
felt insulted. She prayed to Mother Earth for refuge .Mother Earth listened to
her prayers and erupted. Sita went inside the Earth. Rama, stunned by the
incident, tried to hold her back but could not .
2.Religious vein
As the place refers to the same spot where Sita had entered
into the earth ,it has a religious fervor. Many pilgrims visit this place and
worship the Idol of Sita . The beautiful idol is made of plaster of Paris and
is showcased inside the glass cage in a big hall. Pilgrims offer their
sacrifices and take rest , sitting on the marble floor. There are few more
temples of Lord Shiva and Lord Hanuman .The huge statue of Hanuman with a club
in his hand is visible from far away. The
restaurant in the campus has varieties of Indian cuisines and others too. The
pilgrims and the tourists feel at ease after performing the puja and soothe their palates with
different types of foods and drinks. The restaurant has a similar appearance of
an old hut with a queer design of bamboo railings. The huge trees with cool
shades and resting places under them steal all your fatigue and stress. The
lovely ambience with a lake nearby which meets the Ganges and the boating
facility can extend sheer bliss to the people suffering from the hectic turmoil
of their busy schedule.
3.Communication:
The place is not very far from Varanasi .It can be a three
hours joyride in a car or a bus. But if you wish to travel by train, you have
to take a train for either Varanasi or Allahabad and from there you can enjoy
the trip to Sitamarhi which is also known as Sita –Samahit- temple or Sita
Samahit Sthal.
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