Sita without Ram: This ancient temple in India celebrates mother of Luv and Kush

About 950 km south of Ayodhya, the birthplace of revered Hindu deity Lord Ram, in Maharashtra state's Yavatmal, a centuries-old shrine is dedicated to Ram's wife Sita. The temple, which celebrates Sita's single motherhoodgot a quiet makeover this Diwali ahead of Ayodhya's Ram temple's consecration in January.

In November 2022, the Supreme Court of Indiaallowed the construction of a Hindu temple on the site where a mosque was built by an aide of Moghul emperor Babar in Ayodhya where an ancient temple marking Ram's birthplace hadexisted. The temple at Ram's birthplace is currently under construction and is scheduled to be consecrated in January 2024.

Why Yavatmal's Sita temple is unique?

The shrine at Yavatmal's Raveri is unique since it worships Ram's wife Sita's single motherhood.

According to Valmiki Ramayana— the story of Lord Ram's life composed by Sage Valmiki— when Ram was coronated as Ayodhya's King after 14 years of exile, the people of Ayodhya cast doubts on his wife Sita's sanctity, since she was abducted by King Ravana and was forced to live in his kingdom of Lanka.

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As a King true to his subjects who was staunch to follow Raj Dharmaor the duty of the king, Ram is said to have given into Ayodhya residents' doubts — following which Sita ended up living outside Ayodhya.

In seclusion, Sita gave birth to her and Ram'schildren— Luv and Kush— and raised them all by herself.

The Raveri temple celebrates this exact single motherhood epitomised by Sita during period coinciding with India's Vedic times.

Sita is worshipped without Ram and Laxman's omnipresence in this temple.

The temple was recently renovated and the original, weather-beaten idol was replaced with a newly carved stone replica on November 7, The Times of India reported.

"While attention is focussed on Ayodhya, here in Raveri, we have breathed new life into our temple dedicated to Sita. Our devotion transcends generations, and we are thrilled to have a new idol grace our temple," Wamanrao Chatap, a leader of the farmers' group Shetkari Sanghatana was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

The organisation's founder, Sharad Joshi, is credited to have brought the spotlight to the shrine in 2001.

"He saw this as symbolising the strength of mothers and made it his mission to reconstruct the temple as a monument to courage. Now, it's an inspiration to all single mothers, particularly widows in farming communities," Chatap said.

(With inputs from agencies)