On May 1, 2001 falls Sita Navami–the day when the Earth Goddess gave birth to Srimati Sita-devi. King Janaka tells us what happened: “One day, when I was plowing the fields, I found her under the ploughshare and gave her the name Sita. Thus after emerging from the earth itself, she has grown up in my care.”
Thus was born the most famous Goddess in history. The story of Her birth, marriage, exile, abduction, (in)famous agni-pariksha (fire ordeal), and banishment is not only known and loved in India, but throughout South and Southeast Asia and, indeed, in much of the rest of the world as well. Whether conveyed through music and mime, poetry, popular folk tales, dramatic performances, video, comic books, epic narrations, or what have you, the story of Sita has captured the hearts of over a billion people. To this day she is India’s most favorite goddess.