Nepal has objected to Mata Seeta being called ‘Bharat Ki Beti’ (India’s daughter). As per reports, a dialogue in the movie Adipurush, where Lord Ram (played by Baahubali star Prabhas) is asking the Vanar Sena to fight to save India’s daughter from the captivity of Ravana, has created some controversy in Nepal.
Nepal, proud of its temple town of Janakpur, considers Mata Seeta as Nepal’s daughter, not India’s daughter.
Kathmandu Mayor threatens ban
Belen Shah, the Mayor of the Kathmandu metropolitan area had taken a strong objection to Mata Seeta being referred to as ‘India’s daughter’, had asserted that she is, in fact, Nepal’s daughter, and the makers of Aadipurush had been given 3-days time to remove the allegedly controversial dialogue from the movie.
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 ।
— Balen Shah (@ShahBalen) June 15, 2023
यो सच्याउन ३ दिनको समय दिइएको छ ।
माता सीताको जय होस । pic.twitter.com/4VwEhEgOki
Many Nepali citizens supported Belen Shah’s call and demanded a ban on Adipurush unless the allegedly controversial dialogue was removed from the movie.
Maa Janaki was the daughter of Rajyashree Seeradhwaja Janak, King of Mithila, Nepal. Misleading information about Maa Janaki as the daughter of India should be corrected. @omraut and the entire team of Adipurush#ADIPURUSH#AdipurushReview pic.twitter.com/GO6CL5YySq
— Shudesh Raj Singh (@shudeshrajsingh) June 15, 2023
It is notable here that Belen Shah had demanded that the dialogue must be removed/corrected not just in Nepal, but in India too. Further going a step ahead, he had also declared that no Hindi/Indian movie will be allowed to be released in Nepal if the makers of Adipurush do not correct their ‘mistake’.
Aadipurush makers correct their ‘mistake’
As per the latest news, the makers of Aadipurush agreed to remove the dialogue from the movie. Following this the Censor Board in Nepal has now okayed the movie for release in Nepal.
Janakpur, Mithila, Mata Seeta
It is notable here that Mata Seeta is believed to have been born in Janakpur, Nepal which was once the part of the Mithila kingdom under Rajarshi Janak. Mata Seeta is known as ‘Jaanaki’ because she was the adopted daughter of King Janak. Seeta, a manifestation of Goddess Lakshmi, was a blessing from Prithvi Mata (mother earth), and King Janak had raised her as his daughter.
Janakpur in Nepal has a grand Janki temple for Mata Seeta, the daughter of Mithila who is the mother goddess of all Hindus worldwide.
In 2018, PM Modi had visited the Janki Temple during his official visit to Nepal. He had also inaugurated the Ayodhya-Janakpur bus service, connecting the two important cities of the Ramayana pilgrimage.
Located in the Dhanusha district in the Terai region in Nepal, Janakpur boasts of numerous temples, monasteries, and artistic centres.
It is not just regarded as Seeta’s birthplace, but as it was the capital of the ancient Mithila kingdom, the breaking of the Shiv Dhanush and the wedding of Lord Ram and Mata Seeta is also believed to have taken place here. Thousands of Hindus visit this city every year. Vivaha Panchami is celebrated with much fanfare.
Needless controversy?
Mata Seeta is the mother goddess of every Hindu, be it Nepali or Indian. Following the controversy, many Twitter users have pointed out the simple fact that the ancient kingdoms of Ayodhya and Mithila were all a part of the Indian subcontinent, generally called Bharatvarsha in Indic belief systems and literature. The modern-day national boundaries of India and Nepal do not limit or define the faith and languages of a people who have been living here for thousands of years.
The ‘Mithila’ region contains parts of Bihar and Jharkhand too. And most of all, Mata Seeta is the daughter of this land, the mother goddess of every Hindu.
In Nepal, India bashing is the most popular political gimmick. The controversy around Mata Seeta being addressed as ‘Bharat Ki Beti’ only shows the level of juvenile stunts that pass as politics in the neighbouring country.
