Sita, the Daughter of King Janaka

Once there ruled a King named Janaka over the kingdom of Mithila.

King Janaka was very wise and virteous. However he had no children. One year there was a drought in the region. The king and his subjects prayed to Lord Indra for blessing them with rains. So, the voice from heavens asked the King to plough the farm himself. 

King Janaka and his wife went to the farm and he started ploughing the land. Soon the plough stuck an earthern pot. When the king pulled the pot out, he saw a beautiful girl curdled in it. The heaven called King Janaka saying, 'O vitreous King of land! The girl is Earth's daughter. We bless you with her. Accept her as your daughter'. King Janaka and his wife were very happy. They thanked the heavens and accepted the girl as their daughter. 

King Janaka named the girl as Sita. She was raised with immense love and care by the king.

As Sita grew up, King Janak got worried about her marriage. So he mediated in name of Lord Shiva seeking his blessing for a virteous groom for Sita. Lord Shiva appeared and gave king Janak a bow. He said, 'This is not an ordinary bow. There is only person who can break it and he would marry Sita'.

The bow was called Ram Bow (Ram Vaand) and it could not be lifted by ordinary people. It was kept safely in an isolated corner of palace. 

One day Sita went in the room where the Ram Bow was placed. It is said that she lifted the bow with her one hand. Seeing this, King Janak decided to marry away his daughter Sita to the person who could lift and break the bow.

Years passed by and when Sita grew up, king Janaka organised a ceremony to wed Sita away. The king invited princes from far and wide in the event. In the ceremony, the king announced that he would marry Sits to the person who would lift and break the Ram Bow.

The king and princes who attended the ceremony tried hard to lift the bow, but all of them failed. 

Just then, Sage Viswamithra walked in the arena with his disciples Rama and this younger brother Laksman. They were princes of Ayodhya. The sage asked Rama to contest.

Rama lifted the bow at once and broke it.

King Janaka happily wedded away Sita to Rama. They went to Ayodhya to seek blessing of Rama's parents.