About Us

According to Indian mythology, Sitamarhi has got immense significance, because it was here that Lord Rama’s wife Maa Sitaji was abandoned, gave birth to Luv & Kush and descended into the lap of Mother Earth forever. The only existing Valmiki Ashram on the banks of the river Ganges is located here. Sitamarhi thus carries deep religious values and significance and is considered a holy ‘Teerth’ like Prayagraj & Kashi. Today, here stands a magnificent and beautiful Shree Sita Samahit Temple visited by thousands of pilgrims everyday with deep faith and reveranice.

Since ancient times, India has been the fountainhead and torch-bearer of knowledge and learning. The exalted teachings enshrined in the Vedas are universally appealing and benefit the entire humanity. Apart from these, we have the two great Epics –‘The Ramayana’ written by Maharishi Valmiki, and ‘The Mahabharata’ written by Maharishi Ved Vyas. In the Ramayana, Maharishi Valimiki has given a detailed account of Lord Rama and his consort Maa Sita. He very delicately defined the nobility of Maa Sita and her sincerity, devotion and sacrifice which made her an ideal woman. Sitaji’s life is full of pathos, agony and suffering. In the entire mythology of India, no other woman has excelled Sitaji in her purity, love and sacrifice. In Maharishi Valmiki’s Ramayana, a place near Prayagraj called Sitamarhi is where Sitaji is said to have descended into the lap of Mother Earth forever. This sacred spot is very near to Valmikiji’s Ashram on the banks of holy Ganges. At this place, one feels vibrations of peace & bliss along with the feeling that there exist the blessings of Maa Sita.

Once the place was visited by Swami Jitendranand Tirth and he had desired that a very magnificent memorial to Sitaji be built here. The Sita Samahit temple stands exactly on the mound where Bhagwati Sitaji descended into Mother Earth. This was built with the kind help of Late Shri. Satya Narain Prakash Punj, New Delhi who was inspired by his mother. Within the campus of the main temple there exists temples of Maa Sita & Lord Shiva. There also stands 108 ft. high statue of Ram Bhakt Hanuman installed on an artificial rock of 20 ft. Under this hillock there is a cave having small temple of Hanumanji.

Sitamarhi is a historical place of immense significance and is being visited by large number of pilgrims with great faith and devotion. It is one of the five ‘Teerths’ (holy places) in Poorvanchal which are Prayagraj, Sitamarhi,Sarnath. Vindhyavasini & Kashiraj, all can be visited within 3 days.

Our Historic Temple

Self-Transformation Starts from Within

The Mythology

Maryada Purshottam Ram, the "Treta Yug" incarnation of Lord Vishnu is worshipped as an ideal of model conduct and character His consort, Sita is worshipped as an ideal of chastity and virtue. Circumstances, ordained by the Almighty, compelled Sita to return to the lap of her Mother Earth when people questioned her chastity. Sitamarhi is the place where she entered into the earth. Marriage of Ram-Sita, and the consequent separation was pre-determined. When Narad Muni had to undergo humiliation at the Swayamavar of Vishwamohini, he had cursed Lord Vishnu that he too would have to experience the agony of separation from his beloved in Treta Yug. Thus Lord Ram could not enjoy the company of Sita. The couple had to spend 14 years in exile and it was then that Sita was kidnapped by Ravana, king of Lanka. She had to spend a long time in the confinement of Ravana. Later, when Ravana was killed by Lord Ram and Sita was taken to Ayodhya , people questioned her purity as she had spent a long time in Ravanas confinement. Lord Ram who was the model of ideal conduct honoured the verdict of the people and sent Sita to exile once again, where the twins Luv & Kush were born. Meanwhile in Ayodhya , Lord Ram conducted the Ashwamedha Yajna, and the horse of the Yagna was held by Luv and Kush who had been educated and trained as great warriors by Rishi Valmiki. When Lord Ram came face to face with the twins who challenged him to a duel, Rishi Valmiki intervened and told Ram that Luv & Kush were his sons, and that Sita was living in his Ashram. He asked Ram to take Sita back to Ayodhya and perform the Ashwamedh Yagna by sitting beside his wife. Ram told Valmiki that he would take Sita back only if she re-established her purity before the people of Ayodhya. Sita could not bear the insult anymore and prayed to Mother Earth to give shelter to her. Mother Earth erupted and Sita entered into it. Lord Ram was stunned to see this unexpected development and tried to stop Sita from entering the earth but could catch her hair only. This story of Sitas second exile is emotionally narrated by Valmiki in his Ramayana and then by Kalidas inRaghuvansham besides Radheshyam in his Ramayana.

Sitamarhi - Some Evidence

There are two places known as Sitamarhi one where Sita was found by Raja Janak while ploughing the fields in Bihar, and the other where Sita returned to the lap of Mother Earth near Prayagraj where stands the Ashram of Rishi Valmiki on the holy banks of the Ganga. The epic Ramayana was authored by Valmiki, who made his Ashram near this spot. Sita was not born (Ajanma) she was found by Raja Janak in an earthen pitcher while ploughing a field hence she is known as the daughter of the earth. Swami Jiterndranand Tirth , a saint from Rishikesh while travelling on foot along the holy Ganga in 1991 in search of God and self realisation, experienced something unique and great after covering around 900 kms. This was a small sleepy village, known as Sitamarhi. The locals believed that Sita had descended into the earth at this very place, situated next to Valmiki Ashram , a little distance away from the Ganga. Swamiji saw a small valley with a mound in the middle surrounded by four small hillocks. He was surprised to see that the earthen mound could not be washed away though a water stream had been flowing regularly at the place for centuries together. Swamiji decided to break his journey and stay there. He cleansed a portion of that mound and started meditating there. He felt some vibrations and realized the bliss of Sita. Then he found a typical grass grown on the slope of the hillocks which was worshipped by the local womanfolk as the sacred hair of Maa Sita.

There are three factors which prove that this was indeed the place where Sitaji had descended into the earth.

Sita was abandoned near Valmiki Ashram during her exile, and the Ashram stands in Sitamarhi.
It was situated on the banks of the holy Ganga as described in the epic Ramayana and could be reached on a chariot from Ayodhya in a day. Valmiki has explained the geographical position of his ashram near the confluence of Tamsa and Ganga.
The author of Ram Charit Manas, Goswami Tulsidas had visited this place while travelling from Varanasi (Kashi ) to Prayagraj and stayed for three days. He described the location of Sitamarhi between Baripur and Digpur. The two villages still exist and testify the location. He explained the location in his Kavitawali Uttarkand couplet 138.