The Ramayana is a great epic in the world. It is written by Valmiki. It deals with the story concerning the life and rule of the honest King Ramachandra of Ayodhya.
The royal dynasty of Ayodhya faced a crisis. The king Dasaratha wanted to offer the crown to Ramachandra before going to the forest. Dasaratha had three queens named Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra. Kausalya was the mother of Ramachandra. Kaikeyi was the mother of Bharat. Sumitra had two sons named Laxman and Shatrughna.
As per the hereditary rule Ramachandra was to inherit the thrown because he was the eldest of all four sons and he was the son of the eldest queen also. People of ayodhya became very happy at this news.
But Ramachandra could not be the king. On the con he was sent to the forest on exile. It happened due to the villainy of an old maid-servant named Manthara. As her evil persuasion, Kaikeyi asked the King to fulfill her boons which he had earlier promised. The two boons we that Rama must be exiled and her own son Bharat must inherit the thrown.
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Dasaraths, who was bound by his promise, granted these two boons. Thus, Ramachandra sent to forest for fourteen years. At that time Bharat was away. When he returned, he was shocked to hear this development in the palace. He refused to become the king. However, he ruled the country as a faithful represent of the real king Ramachandra. He placed Rama’s sandals on the throne. Although he tried to call back Rama to Ayodha but he became unsuccessful. Rama went to forest with Sita and younger brother Laxmana.
Rama was in the forest of Panchabati when his wife was forcibly carried off by Ravana, the demon Lanka. In order to rescue her, Rama had to fight with Ravana. He made friendship with the monkey tribes of Kishkin and got their help in the war against Ravana. With help, Rama built a dam across the ocean and led his army to Lanka. Finally Sita was rescued. Ravana was killed. Ravana’s brother Bibhishana was a devoted friend of Ramachandra. So, after the death of Ravana, Bibhishana become the king of Lanka.
Although Sita was a pure and honest lady, there were some minor rumors against her chastity. Ramachandra who was the noblest king put Sita into an ordeal. Sita entered the fire and came out pure and un-burnt. Again, after a clandestine criticism, Sita was asked to leave the kingdom. She was left in the forest. However, she was looked after by the sage Valmiki in that forest. There, the two princes, Lava and Kush, were born from Sita. They were twins. As they grew up, they received the military training from Valmiki.
Valmiki tried to reunite the twin sons with their father, Lord Ramachandra. He taught the two brothers the lines of the Ramayana. During the Aswamedha Yajna, the two brothers who accompanied Valmiki there sang the lines. There Ramachandra became happy to see his two sons. Then, Rama and Sita were also united.
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Sita is a tragic character in the Ramayana. She again faced many criticisms. Again she was put to another ordeal. But this time she prayed the Goddess Earth to receive her. The Earth yawned and Sita disappeared there forever.