November 28, 2024

A temple of Sita without any idol of Lord Ram | India News

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NAGPUR: A centuries-old shrine to Sita that celebrates single motherhood has got a quiet makeover in its nondescript nook in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra as the spotlight shines on the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya ahead of its scheduled consecration on January 22.
The shrine at Raveri is unique not only in its reverence of a mother’s fortitude but also as a one-of-its-kind place of worship where idols of Sita and her twins Luv and Kush stand without Ram and Lakshman’s omnipresence.
After the temple was renovated and the original, weather-beaten idol replaced with a newly carved stone replica, the entire village came together on November 7 to celebrate the reopening.
“While attention is focused 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,” said Wamanrao Chatap, a leader of the farmers’ group Shetkari Sanghatana.
The organisation’s founder, Sharad Joshi, is credited with highlighting the uniqueness of the shrine in 2001 after being moved by the portrayal of Sita as a single mother raising her sons to be the deserving inheritors of Ram’s legacy.
“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.



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