Sita Swayamvara is a 3-hour musical concert depicting the marriage between Lord Ram & Sita
Ramayana, the revered epic, is a story of courage, valor, loss, pain, and, of course, love. The classic tale not only traces the often painful life of Lord Ram but also introduces us to one of the most poignant love stories of all times; that of Ram and Sita
King Janak was the ruler of the kingdom of Videha. Its capital city was Mithila. Janak was not only a brave king but was also very well-versed in the Shastras and Vedas. His daughter was Sita who grew up to be a girl of unparalleled beauty and charm and possessed the greatest of womanly virtues.
The condition of Swayamvara
A swayamvara was a ritual where kings and princes’ from far and near would visit the king’s court to ask for the princess’s hand for marriage, but only the bravest would be selected.
When Sita became of marriageable age, the king decided to have a Swayamvara, which included a contest. The king was in possession of an immensely heavy bow, presented to him by the God Shiva. Whoever could wield the bow and string it, could marry Sita.
Why the condition was chosen
In an earlier part of her life, Sita while playing with her sisters had unknowingly lifted the table over which the “Shiva Dhanush” had been placed; which was something no one in the palace could do. This incident was however observed by King Janaka and he decided to make this incident the backdrop for swayamvara.
Ram fulfills the condition
Ram, the Prince of Ayodhya, successfully broke Shiva’s bow as he picked it up. And with the breaking of the bow, Janak proposed Sita to Rama in marriage. On the approval of Sage Vishwamitra, Janak sent his messengers to Ayodhya to convey the message to Dasharatha. Upon hearing the story of how his son Ram not only lifted the bow of Shiva, but also broke it, Dasharatha was overjoyed. He gladly accepted the marriage proposal of Rama and Sita.
Angry Parshurama comes to the palace
At this point, Parshurama arrives at the palace and demands to know who has broken the bow of Shiva. He told Rama that Vishvakarma made two identical bows and gave them to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu and Ram had broken the former. Parshurama said if Ram could string the bow of Vishnu then only he would accept the greatness of Rama. Ram took it up and strung it and placed an arrow asking Parashurama where to target the arrow now. Parshurama realized that this person is no ordinary person and he himself is an avatar of Vishnu. He silently retreated from the swayamvara place. King Janak & others present solemnized the marriage and blessed the couple.
Sitaswayamwar is a musical play based on the dance and music of Brij Kala. Based on the Ramayana, narrates the events during the marriage of Ram and Sita, and they’re being accosted by the sage Parasurama. The costumes worn by the artists are also based on the Brij Kala culture. This event is also preceded by Vandana and followed by Arti & prasad duration.
