There exists a large corpus of Urdu poetry, including several versions of the manzum (verse) Ramayana, which paint evocative word pictures of the luminous beauty of this daughter of Janak, her willing embrace of banwas forsaking the luxuries of her palatial home, her heart-wrenching abduction and her pining for her Lord. While the charismatic figure of Ram, the mard-e kaamil (perfect man), whom Allama Iqbal memorably described as Imam-e Hind (spiritual leader of Hindustan), remains the subject of a great deal of Urdu poetry, Sita is by no means absent. There was a time, till not very long ago, when a common greeting was “Jai Siya Ram!” Even in practising Muslim households such as mine, I recall Sita maiyya being held in the highest esteem. The story of her life: Raja Ravi Varma’s rendition of Sita’s abduction by Ravana.
