Sita Swayamvaram

This dance depicts the joyous occasion of Sita’s marriage to Rama from the epic Ramayana. The dance begins with the Sakhi who admires the festive decorations of the city of Mithila and notices the kings and princes from various lands that have arrived to compete for Sita’s hand in marriage. The one who successfully lifted and strung the mighty bow of Lord Shiva would be capable of marrying Sita. Thus many kings and princes arrived at the court of Janka to lift and string the bow, but none succeeded. Some got terrified by the mere sight of the gigantic bow, and fled the scene. A few others tried so hard that they fall and injured themselves. Then the powerful but arrogant Ravana manages to lift the bow, but loses control and drops it much to the relief of Sita. After a series of unsuccessful attempts, the valiant Lord Rama effortlessly and majestically lifted and strung the bow with humility thus winning the Swayamvaram and marrying princess Sita. This dance is presented in ekaharya abhinayam, where one dancer portrays all the roles involved in enacting the story.