Sita's birth story, central to the Ramayana, depicts her as a child of the Earth Goddess, discovered by King Janaka while plowing. According to the Ramayana, she was born from a furrow in the ground, thus named Sita (meaning "furrow"). King Janaka adopted her and raised her as his daughter, recognizing her divine origin and significance. This beautiful Oleograph made by Artist N B Joglekar** & publised by Ravi- Udaya Press bassed at Ghatcoper Bombay around Circa 1940-45. All copy rights was with Hemchandra Bhargava based in Chandani Chowk Delhi 6.
Here's a more detailed look at the story:
The Drought and the Ritual:
The kingdom of Mithila was suffering from a drought, prompting King Janaka to perform a Vedic ritual.
The Discovery:
While plowing during the ritual, the king found a beautiful baby girl within a pot in a furrow of the land.
The Meaning of Sita:
Sita was named after the "furrow" (sita) from which she emerged, symbolizing her divine birth from the Earth.
A Divine Child:
King Janaka adopted Sita and raised her, understanding that she was not an ordinary child but a divine being, the daughter of the Earth goddess.
Significance of the Birth:
Sita's birth is seen as a manifestation of the Earth's power and fertility, and her name represents the land itself.
**
N B Joglekar (1916-2005)
Faculty of Fine Arts, Vadodara, 1958-59
Narayan Balaji Joglekar was born in 1916 and undertook the study of art from J. J. School of Art, Mumbai. He also travelled to London and studied Diploma in Graphic Arts. Post his education he came back to India and became a teacher at the Faculty of Fine Arts, M S University, Baroda. This was the same time that India was getting exposed to the British and American artworks and print making was developed. The art center of India was also shifting from Bengal to Mumbai and Vadodara.
Joglekar played a prominent role as a teacher by giving students an environment of creative liberalism and experimentation. His technical expertise gave students the know-how of lithographs and equipped them to pursue interactions between art and print. He had a teaching career that spanned for 25 years and retired as the Head of the Department. He visited France, Belgium, Germany and many other European countries where he interacted with prominent teachers of various art institutions including Pablo Picasso. He had participated in many exhibitions of the Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi Awards and AIFACS awards as well.
Joglekar was one of the pioneering teachers at the Faculty of Fine Arts, between the years 1951-1974 and took lead in developing the print making techniques at the institute. He died in 2005 in Vadodara.
