Goddess Sita’s birth is disputed and vague as she was said to be found in a furrow in a plowed field, and for that reason is regarded as a daughter of Bhumi Devi. It is believed that her birthplace to be Janakpur in the Eastern-Madhesh of Nepal or Sitamarhi in Mithila region of present-day Bihar. She was found, adopted and brought up by Janaka, king of Mithila, and his wife Sunaina. Valmiki’s Ramayan never mentioned clearly who the actual parents of Sita were but just the story mentioned above.
This has created different controversy and curiosity among Hindu people of her birth facts. More confusion arose after some of the versions of Ramayana were disclosed clearly stating that Sita was a daughter of Ravana.
According to three versions of Ramayana – Gunabhadra’s Uttara Purana, Sanghadasa’s Jaina Ramayana, and Adbhuta Ramayana, Sita was the daughter of Ravana and his wife Mandodari.
After the birth of Sita, astrologers predict and suggest Ravana that the child will be the cause of his death. So Ravana orders extermination of baby Sita who was put in a basket and buried in the ground and that later was found by King Janaka while performing the ritual of ploughing the field for fertility.
Moreover, in Uttara Purana, it is stated that Sita is the reincarnation of Manivati, daughter of Amitavega of Alkapuri who when meditating was disturbed by Ravana and pledges to take revenge on him and be the cause of his demise. Manavati was reborn as Sita with Ravana being her father. These versions of Ramayana suggest Ravana kidnapped Sita for his love as a father and his intolerance to see Sita suffer in the Jungle when she was in exile with Rama.
However, all the other versions which remained authentic to Valmiki’s Ramayan have not stated that Sita was a daughter of Ravana but neither has disclosed the details of the actual birth of Sita. Whatever the story is, ultimately Sita became the reason for Ravana’s destruction.