Sita Ram Goel

Sita Ram Goel (16 October 1921 – 3 December 2003) was an Indian religious and political activist, writer and publisher in the late twentieth century. He had Marxist leanings during the 1940s, but later became an outspoken anti-communist and also wrote extensively on the damage to Indian culture and heritage wrought by expansionist Islam and missionary activities of Christianity. In his later career he emerged as a commentator on Indian politics, and adhered to Hindu nationalism.

Life

Early life

Sita Ram Goel was born to a non-traditional Hindu family in Punjab, in 1921; though his childhood was spent in Calcutta. The family looked upon Sri Garibdas, a nirguna saint comparable to Kabir and Nanak, as its patron saint and his verses, "Granth Saheb", were often recited at their home.

Goel graduated in history from the University of Delhi in 1944. As a student, he was a social activist and worked for a Harijan Ashram in his village. His sympathies for the Arya Samaj, the Harijans and the Indian freedom movement, along with his strong support for Mahatma Gandhi, brought him into conflict with many people in his village; Goel also learned to speak and write Sanskrit during these college days.

Sita

Sita (also spelled Sîta, Seeta or Seetha [ˈsiːt̪aː],  listen  meaning "furrow") also known as Vaidehi, Janaki, Maithili, Bhoomija, is the central female character of the Hindu epic Ramayana and a daughter of King Janak of Janakpur. She is the consort of the Hindu god Rama (avatar of Vishnu) and is an avatar of Lakshmi (Aadi Shakti of Lord Vishnu), goddess of wealth and wife of Vishnu. She is esteemed as a paragon of spousal and feminine virtues for all Hindu women. Sita is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, courage and purity.

Sita is described as the daughter of the earth goddess Bhūmi and the adopted daughter of King Janaka of Mithila and Queen Sunayna. In her youth, she marries Rama, the prince of Ayodhya. Soon after her marriage, she is forced into exile with her husband and brother-in-law Lakshmana. While in exile, the trio settle in the Dandaka forest, from where she is abducted by Ravana, Rakshasa King of Lanka. She is imprisoned in the Ashoka Vatika of Lanka by Ravana. Sita is finally rescued by Rama in the climatic war where Rama slays Ravana. Sita goes into fire for her human body to come out of fire-god's protection and her imitation, abducted by ravan, gets back in the fire. Thereafter, Rama and Sita return to Ayodhya, where they are crowned as king and queen. However, Rama abandons a pregnant Sita when one of his subjects casts doubt over her chastity. In the refuge of Sage Valmiki's hermitage Sita gives birth to twins Lava and Kusha. After her sons grow up and unite with their father, Sita returns to her mother, the Earth's womb, for release from a cruel world as a testimony of her purity. Her other names are Bhumija and Janaki.

Arun Govil

Arun Govil (born 12 January 1958) is an Indian actor, producer and director. He has acted in various Hindi, Bhojpuri, Braj Bhasha, Oriya and Telugu movies. He is best known for playing Rama in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Ramayan (1986).

Personal life

Arun Govil was born in Ramnagar near Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He got his formal education at Meerut University, where he acted in some plays. He spent his teenage life in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh .His father wanted him to become a government servant while Arun wanted to do something for which he would be remembered. In 1975, at the young age of 17, he moved to Mumbai to start his own business there. He later found his way into acting.

Family

Arun Govil is the fourth of six brothers and two sisters. His elder brother Vijay Govil is married to Tabassum, a former child actress and the host of the first Bollywood Celebrity talk show on Doordarshan Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan which continued for 21 years. His nephew is Film and TV actor Hoshang Govil (Son of Vijay and Tabassum Govil).His father Shri Chandra Prakash Govil was a government officer. Govil is married to actress Shrilekha, with whom he has a son and a daughter.

Deepika Chikhalia

Deepika Chikhalia (born 29 April 1965) is an Indian actress who rose to fame playing Sita in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Ramayan and was known for acting in other mythological TV serials.She was also known for her successful debut film Sun Meri Laila(1983) opposite Raj Kiran and 3 Hindi films with Rajesh Khanna, one Malayalam film Ithile Iniyum Varu(1986) with Mammootty,Kannada hits Hosa Jeevana(1990) and Indrajith, one Tamil hit film Nangal(1992) with Prabhu, one Bengali hit film Asha O Balobasha(1989) opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee.

Career

Ram Swarup

Ram Swarup (राम स्‍वरूप), (1920 – 26 December 1998), born Ram Swarup Agarwal, was an independent Hindu thinker and prolific author. His works took a critical stance against Christianity, Islam and Communism. His work has influenced other Indian writers.

Life

Ram Swarup was born in 1920 to a banker father in Sonipat, Haryana. He graduated in Economics at Delhi University in 1941. He participated in the Indian Freedom Movement, and helped freedom fighters like Aruna Asaf Ali. He started the Changer's Club in 1944. Its members included L. C. Jain, Raj Krishna, Girilal Jain, and historian Sita Ram Goel. In 1948-49, he worked for Mahatma Gandhi's disciple Mira Behn (Madeleine Slade).

Swarup worked for the DRS, where he wrote a book on the Communist party that was published under someone else's name. In 1949 he started the Society for the Defence of Freedom in Asia. The Society published books that were reviewed in the West, and criticized in the Communist newspapers Izvestia and Pravda. It closed in 1955. His early book Gandhism and Communism from this time had some influence among American policy makers and Congress men.