Mata Sita’s Birthplace Debate Reignited as ‘Adipurush’ Dialogue Triggers Online Clash

New Delhi: The movie ‘Adipurush’ has sparked a dispute between Bollywood enthusiasts in Nepal and India, triggered by a tweet from the Kathmandu Censor Board regarding a dialogue in the movie.

Mayor Balen Shah of Kathmandu metropolis took to Twitter, demanding the removal of the dialogue “Janki is a daughter of India” from the censored and main versions of the film. He warned that unless the correction was made within three days, no Hindi films would be allowed to screen in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. The tweet received mixed reactions on social media, with some expressing support for Mayor Shah and others criticizing his actions.

दक्षिण भारतीय फिल्म ‘आदिपुरुष’मा समावेश ‘जानकी भारतीय छोरी हुन्’ भन्ने सब्द जबसम्म नेपालमा मात्र नभै भारतमा पनि सच्चिदैन तब सम्म काठमाडौ महानगर पालिका भित्र कुनै पनि हिन्दी फिल्म चल्न दिइने छैन ।
यो सच्याउन ३ दिनको समय दिइएको छ ।
माता सीताको जय होस । pic.twitter.com/4VwEhEgOki

— Balen Shah (@ShahBalen) June 15, 2023

The controversy has once again brought up the debate over the birthplace of Sita, a central figure in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Nepalese people firmly believe that Sita was born and raised in Janakpur, located in the Madhesh Pradesh region of Nepal. According to legend, it was in Janakpur where Sita’s marriage ceremony with Ram, known as swayamvar, took place. The town is situated near the Bihar border and not far from Sitamarhi, where Sita is believed to have descended into the earth.

In contrast, Indians strongly believe that Sita was born in Sita Kund, Punaura Dham, situated in the Sitamarhi District of Bihar, India. The place is renowned for its hot springs, and locals in Sitamarhi believe that Sita underwent the fire ordeal, Agni Pariksha, and emerged unharmed, infusing the spring water with her inner heat.

As a result of the ongoing controversy, several multiplexes in Kathmandu and other cities have decided not to screen the movie on Friday due to concerns about potential vandalism.