Bibaha Panchami/Shadananda Jayanti

अपहृत्य शचीं भार्यां शक्यमिन्द्रस्य जीवितुम् ।
नहि रामस्य भार्यां मामानीय स्वस्तिमान् भवेत् ॥
पूर्वोक्त, सर्ग ४८, छन्द २३०

On the contrary, Indra's wife Sachi can live happily, but no one who abducts the wife of the dignified Purushottam Ram can live happily, meaning that her destruction by Lord Rama is irrefutable.

And that's exactly what happened, Ramayana is an ideal love story, and love begins with the bond of marriage. The tithi of marriage is called Panchami. This sacred tithi from before history has special significance in the devotional path, Ram Sita is unbreakable and remains so.

Living Ramayana in Nepal
I have always stated that the Ramayana life is still alive in Nepal, especially in Mithila capital Janakpur of Nepal, Bibaha Panchami is a piece of evidence to it. Today, in the Treta era, it is believed that Prince Ram of Ayodhya came and married Princess Sita at Janakpur Dham, the capital of Mithila state. We would like to explain the wedding Panchami in the context of Ramayana of Treta era, Mansir Shukla Panchami i.e. today the marriage of Ardash Jodi Ram Sita took place in Janakpur of Nepal according to Vedic Sanatan Hindu culture.

In the weekly wedding celebration, Ramjan's wedding Panchami festival, devotees organize tilkotsav, matkor, and worship according to religious rituals, the Bibaha Panchami festival is formally concluded exactly like of typical marriage. That is why there is a myth that anyone should not look at the Sait (Auspicious date) when they get married on the day of Bibaha Panchami.

Janakpur is the birthplace of Sita. Sita or Janaki is the main character of Ramayana. Sita is the eldest daughter of King Janak, the ruler of Mithila kingdom. Ram is the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Sita is an example of an ideal wife, an ideal mother, an ideal brother-in-law, an ideal daughter-in-law, an ideal queen, and an ideal woman in general.

Sita is revered as a source of virtue, femininity, motherhood, and compassion. Shiva used to move the bow, which was protected by King Janak, which could not be lifted even by the great heroes. Sita used to move the bow around alone while cleaning the shrine.

That is why King Janak had promised to do Sita's swayamvara only with a brave man who could lift Shiva's bow. The marriage of Sita and Rama was solemnized in Janakpur after the same Shiva bow was broken by Prince Ram of Ayodhya.

The wedding Panchami has been celebrated since that time. Sita's sisters Urmila, Mandvi, and Shrutakirti were also married to Rama's brothers Laxman, Bharat, and Shatrughan.

What happens at Janakpur, Capital of Mithila ?
The wedding ceremony is held in the afternoon, but since morning, the Ramjanki temple and other temples in the Mithila area are crowded with visitors. Bajagaja, jhanki, bhajan kirtan, and dance are performed in the festival, while the devotees who see the janti and dola are overwhelmed. After the Swayambar of Ram and Sita, the chariots carrying the bride and groom are taken on a procession including traditional music around Janakpur city and end at the Janaki temple area.

Even today, in remembrance of this ancient mythical marriage, it is customary to bring a janta from India to Janakpur, Nepal, and pay homage to the idols of Rama and Sita. In this way, Jantas coming from India are especially saints. Janakpur, a city rich in ponds, lakes, and beautiful Maithil culture, today looks full of divine beauty.

Even in this age, Ram Sita's marriage is as important as it was before. Today, a massive fair has been held at the Janaki temple premises and the people of Janakpur are continuing the tradition and intimacy they have been following since Tretayug.

Ramayana
The great Ramayana, which has 24,000 lines and 500 chapters, and seven sections, is the story of the ups and downs of the lives of Rama and Sita. The Ramayana, written by the sage Valmiki after the earlier Ratnakar bandit, is also very popular in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These lines of Ramayana were memorized by Rama's sons Love and Kush. After hearing the verses of Ramayana, Rama recognized his sons.

After Sita's ordeal, Ramayana has taken a different angle and turn. By teaching lessons on the importance of men and women, equality, family responsibilities, state policies, and dignity, Ramayana has given great value to the human community and civilization.

Let the stories and sayings of Sita and Rama go on for centuries.
Happy Bibaha Panchami to all.

Sadananda Jayanti
Shadananda Adhikari, the famous social worker, and Brahmachari Sadhu and educationist of Nepal, i.e. Balaguru Shadananda was born on the day of Shukla Panchami (Vivah Panchami) in the year 1892 BS in Dingla, Gadigaun, Bhojpur district of Nepal. The child of father Laxmi Narayan Adhikari and mother Rukmini Adhikari, he became known as Brahmachari Guru Shadananda.

Even during the Rana regime, Guru Shadananda for the first time built a culture school and started an environment of learning for the children of the common people. Technically, this school was established long before schools like Durbar High school were established in the capital city.

Realizing the difficulties of gaining education, Shadananda devoted his entire life to promoting education in rural Nepal. Shadananda established himself as a practitioner of yoga, a practitioner of Ashtanga Yoga, and a connoisseur of Eastern philosophy through hard penance in his life. Shadananda, who acquired knowledge of Yajna rituals at the age of eight, studied yoga in Banaras, India.

Shadananda, who was believed by the people to have divine power, was later honored with the title of Shri 108. In his honor, a municipality in Bhojpur district in the Koshi zone has been named after Balaguru Shadananda. The post ticket is published in his name. The Brahmachari Shadananda Pratishthan honors Balaguru every year with the "Shadananda National Award" for outstanding contributions in the field of Nepali language, culture, history, and spiritual philosophy and literature.

His invaluable contribution to education will always be appreciated.

Suyog Dhakal