Kathmandu, November 24: In remembrance of the marriage of gods Sita and Ram on Mangsir Shukla Panchami in the Treta era, the Bibaha Panchami festival is being celebrated across the country today with worship and rituals dedicated to Ram and Sita. In Janakpurdham, the ancient capital of Mithila, the grand wedding festival of Goddess Sita and Lord Ram is being held today with full rituals.

According to the account written by Goswami Tulsidas in the Ramayana, the people of Mithila celebrate this day as a special festival, commemorating the marriage of Janak’s daughter Sita. In the Treta era, King Janak of Mithila had arranged a swayamvara for his daughter Sita, and Ram—the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya—broke Lord Shiva’s great bow (Shiva Dhanush) into three pieces.

After breaking the divine bow, the marriage of Ram and Sita was completed on Mangsir Shukla Panchami. According to the Ramayana, it is believed that 560 million gods were present during the swayamvara held at the Rangabhumi of Janakpurdham. The people of Mithila, who regard Sita as their daughter and sister, participate joyfully in the celebrations—from the arrival of the symbolic wedding procession to the final rituals—believing that even if the deities do not appear physically, they participate invisibly.

During the celebrations, rituals such as Matkor, Tilakotsav, Swayamvara, and the wedding ceremony are conducted according to the cultural traditions of Mithila. As per ancient customs, an idol of Lord Ram is placed on a specially prepared palanquin (Dola throne) and taken from the Ram Temple to the Rangabhumi with musical processions and tableaux.

Similarly, Sita is carried from the Janaki Temple in a specially decorated palanquin to the Rangabhumi. After completing the swayamvara and the ceremonial marital tests at the Rangabhumi, Sita and Ram are brought back to the Janaki Temple. The marriage is then solemnized according to Mithila traditions. Devotees from various parts of the country, as well as from bordering regions of India, participate in the grand procession of the divine dola carried out on this occasion.

People’s News Monitoring Service.