Vivaha Panchami Celebrated Nationwide in Honor of Rama and Sita’s Divine Wedding

Vivaha Panchami is being celebrated across the country today, commemorating the marriage of Lord Rama and Goddess Sita, believed to have taken place on the Shukla Panchami of the month of Margashirsha during the Treta Yuga.

In Janakpurdham, the ancient capital of Mithila, the grand wedding festival of Rama and Sita is being observed with full rituals. As described in the Ramayana by Goswami Tulsidas, the people of Mithila celebrate this day as a major festival, marking the divine wedding of Janakanandini Sita.

According to legend, King Janak of Mithila organized a Swayamvar for his daughter Sita, where Lord Rama, the eldest son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, broke the sacred bow of Lord Shiva. After breaking the bow into three pieces, Rama and Sita were married on Margashirsha Shukla Panchami.

Believers say that 56 crore deities were present at the Swayamvar held in the Rangabhoomi of Janakpur. Considering Sita as their daughter, the people of Mithila participate in the wedding festivities with great enthusiasm, believing that divine beings join the celebrations invisibly even if not physically.

As part of the festival, various rituals such as Matkor, Tilakotsav, Swayamvar, and the wedding ceremony are performed according to Mithila culture. A decorated palanquin carrying the idol of Lord Rama is taken from the Ram Temple to the Rangabhoomi, while Sita’s idol is brought in a beautifully adorned palanquin from the Janaki Temple.

After the Swayamvar and the marriage rituals at Rangabhoomi, the divine couple is brought back to the Janaki Temple, where the wedding is completed following traditional Mithila customs. Devotees from various parts of Nepal as well as neighboring regions of India join the grand procession.

The joyful interactions between the families of the bride and groom, symbolic tableaux of Sita–Rama from different villages, and the participation of hundreds of thousands of devotees create an atmosphere even more vibrant than a real wedding ceremony. Once celebrated for a month in the Tirhutiya Gachhi area, the festival has, for the past two decades, been centered at Rangabhoomi with special programs over four days.

Devotees take holy baths early in the morning before offering prayers. The festival also features bhajans, kirtans, Ramleela, tableaux, and spiritual discourses. It is believed that participating in the divine wedding festival helps devotees attain their wishes and spiritual liberation.

Special worship ceremonies are also being held in Rama–Sita temples across the country today.