Explained! What made daughter-in-law Sita do Pind Daan of Dashratha

New Delhi: It was during their exile when Sita had performed the Pind Daan of Lord Ram's father Dasharatha in Gaya.

It is being said that Ram, along with his brother Laxman and wife Sita, reached Gaya - the holy place where all Pind Daans are performed - during their exile. This was the time when both the brothers went away to collect the samagris for Pind Daan, leaving Sita alone near a river named Falguni.

Thereafter, Sita started crying in fond memory of his late father-in-law Dashratha. And, later, she saw two hands coming out of the river. She recognised those two hands were of Dashratha and then offered Pind Daan made of clay.

Later, when lord Ram returned and tried to offer Pind Daan, to everyone's surprise, his offering was not accepted. Then, Sita explained to her husband that she had already offered the rituals to late Dashratha.

However, lord Ram didn't trust his wife and asked for proof. This made Sita ask for the five bystanders- Falguni River, a Brahmin, a cow, a Tulsi plant and Akshaya Vatam (Banyan Tree) - in front of which she had performed the Pind Daan. Surprisingly, everyone lied, except the Akshya Vatam.

Agitated by this, an angry Sita cursed four of them stating that: a cow would never be paid homage from its front as the cow denied by shaking her head in a gesture of saying no, Brahmins of Gaya would always yearn for food and crave for more, Tulsi plants would never be cultivated in Gaya, and Falguni river was cursed to go to Patalpuri. Till date, this river is never seen, although the water still comes out while digging the land.

Pleased by Akshya Vatam's honesty, Sita blessed the banyan tree to stay evergreen and whoever comes to Gaya to perform Pind Daan would perform it at Akshaya Vatam too. 

Hence, the ancient tree has become immortal!