y interest in Sita was particularly aroused when Mas part of a gender affirmative programme, I conducted awareness sessions for adolescent Sita in Himachal Pradesh girls in Higher Secondary schools in some villages in Himachal. In the course Richa Jas of one such participatory discourse, a student commented that she felt the that the girl would be the cause of her his wife who buried it under the field same kind of embarrassment and shame father’s death. The Buddhist versions that King Janak of Mithila was to plough on being teased by a man as Sita must of the Ramayan from Tibet, Malaya himself to end drought conditions in have felt when Ram asked her for a and, Khaitan repeat the same story. his kingdom.2 The next day Janak second time to prove her innocence by found Sita in the box that he ploughed taking the fire test. Much as I tried, I Folk Ramayan of Mahasu out of the field and adopted her as his failed to convince the girls that it was The Ramayan of Mahasu district daughter. anger and rejection of both her in Himachal which covers large parts Sita dreams that Dashrath, Ram’s husband and the fire test, that prompted of present day Shimla district and that Sita to return to mother Earth. of Kinnaur district seems to have been father, asks her to get Ram to conduct Sita’s story has important meanings influenced by the Jain and Buddhist shradh in the memory of his dead to many people in various regions of versions of the Ramayan in the story ancestors.Ram did as he was instructed. Himachal. Though no single temple has of Sita’s birth. In the folk version of Sita cooked delicious food for the been dedicated to her alone, both Mahasu district: a daughter was born occasion, one part of which was served Shaivites and Vaishnavs relate to her to Ravan and there were celebrations to a crow as per tradition. Sita instructed as an epitome of purity and as the in Lanka. The astrologers predicted that the crow not to fly with the food goddess of endurance. Allusions to the she will grow up and get married to her towards the South as the ruler there suffering that Prithvi or Earth must father and bring him a bad name. would kill him on getting the smell of endure due to the will of the gods, as When Ravan heard this he ordered the delicious food. The crow refused Sita did as the daughter of Prithvi, are that the girl be killed. However his wife to listen to her and flew southwards. common in Himachal where strong Mandodari did not have the heart to Ravan, the ruler of the South, declared belief in village deities in local versions get her daughter killed. She put her that the food that smelled so good of gods and goddesses still remains inside a box with lot of gold and jewels should be snatched from the crow and strong.1 and then let the box float in the ocean. brought to him. On tasting the food he In the folk songs of most districts The box was found by a fisherman and got a search conducted for the woman in Himachal, the bride is almost always addressed as Sita and her friends and relatives wish that the man she is bethrothed to might prove himself to be like Ram who is considered the epitome of the perfect man. In a folk song of Hamirpur district of Himachal, the groom’s relatives sing for him: If you wish to sit on the horse and bring your bride home, you must promise that you will treat her like Ram treated Sita. In the Jain Ramayan of the 3rd century A.D, Sita was the daughter of Ravan and his wife Mandodari afloat and was after her birth put in a box by Mandodari, which was set afloat Ram and Sita in the Panchvati hermitage, Pahari School painting, Kangra idiom. 1780-85 because the astrologers had predicted No.133 25 who had cooked it and then planned to abduct her. Good cooking skills in a woman are not only considered an asset but are considered absolutely essential requirement in Himachal. Also the folk tradition in Himachal gives much importance to appeasing the spirits of their ancestors. The folk Ramayan of Mahasu has no role for Shrupnakha3 , Ravan’s sister who is conspicuous by her absence. In many other Ramayanas, she plays a key role in instigating her brother to abduct Sita. Disobedient Lakshman In Kullu and Bilaspur district’s folk The trinity of Shiv, Vishnu and Brahma, paying their respect to Sita in a Ramayan, Lakshman deviates painting at Tarna Mandir in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. significantly from most popular versions in refusing to fetch water for while Ram is exonerated from blame as milk thinking that it was poison, as that his brother Ram, saying that his wife it is suggested that even in abandoning was what her husband had told her Sita had also come to know the forests Sita he was fulfilling his duty towards before he asked her to keep it safely. well enough over the years and could his subjects which was his foremost Thereafter, she conceived Sita. In this now do that job for him. In the hills, karma. story Ravan is absolutely unaware of fetching water is one of the main chores While some of the women I Sita’s birth. performed by women. Sometimes interviewed in Himachal relate In Mandi district also the impact of women have to walk long distances to positively to Sita’s passion for gold the Adbhut Ramayan becomes get water. Men usually dismiss it as a saying that it is natural in a woman, obvious as it is on display in the Tarna task women are supposed to do and others think that it seems a paradox as Devi temple where there is a picture of Lakshman’s attitude is a reflection on Sita lived austerely for the larger part of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh bowing the contemporary attitude of men in her life and insisted on leaving all royal before Sita. The accompanying Himachal. luxuries behind to accompany her Sanskrit shloka describes Sita as Frail and Vain Sita husband to the forest. ‘She who has eyes as beautiful as In Bilaspur district, the dialogue The Ramayan of Una district takes Lotus flowers, is fair and beautiful goes further after Ram tells Sita to go the story of Sita’s birth directly from like the full moon, she who bestows fetch water for him. Sita says that she is the Adbhut Ramayan. It is believed that passion and understanding on her of royal birth and needs a golden pitcher the saint Valmiki had written this devotees, and grants them their to get water. Accordingly it is arranged version of the Ramayan for the gods. wishes, she who is the beloved of for her and she goes deep into the In Una district’s Ramayan, the king of Ram and is worshipped by the jungles to get cold water for Ram. There Lanka’s wife, Mandodari conceived Trinity.’ she encounters the golden deer. She is Sita on drinking the blood of some In Himachal, various temples of so Smitten by its charm that she tells saints. Her husband Ravan had localized versions of Durga, and Ram: collected this blood in a vessel to temples devoted to Shiv-Shakti If you refuse to get the deer’s skin announce his victory over these saints normally have an image of Hanuman for me, I refuse to call you husband. without having to kill them. One of these guarding them at the entrance. The Some of the folk poets in Himachal saints had in the same vessel acquired temple priests say that Hanuman was who wrote local versions of the a portion of the goddess Lakshmi the son of Shiv and was given away by Ramayan view Sita as a frail woman through his prayers. He mixed it with his father into the service of Ram who 4 with a weakness for gold, a trait they the milk of Kusha grass he had meant was an incarnation of Vishnu. While see as natural in women. These poets this milk to be drunk by his wife so that this view also sheds light on the fact use karmic theory to blame Sita for his daughter would have a bit of that vaishanavism had taken over a every bit of misfortune that befell her, Lakshmi in her. Mandodari drank the shaiv society, another interpretation 26 MANUSHI that comes to mind is that this is a idealized, spiritual lovers and them. On such occasions a member of subtle recognition in Himachal of the husbands, as did Vaishnavi Radha each household in their domain is obliged shakt aspect of Sita. in ages past. They believe that at to accompany them. It is believed that those households that do not send a some level Sita was one with Ram and The genre of myth has never been representative with the devta’s retinue are entirely abandoned in Himachal. only the physical manifestation of the punished by crop failure or illness or in Though it has dwindled to children’s divine union was not possible. some other way by the divinity. The bedtime tales in some societies, in After intense reflections on temple committee also commonly levies parts of the world protected by forests Himachal’s society it seems that at a fine on them.