<P> At this time, Vishvamitra had brought Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the forest for the protection of sacrifice . Hearing about this swayamvara, Vishvamitra asks Rama to participate in it and takes Rama and Lakshmana to the palace of Janaka in Janakpur . Janaka is greatly pleased to learn that Rama and Lakshmana are sons of Dasharatha . Next morning, in the middle of the hall, Rama lifts up the bow of Shiva with his left hand, fastens the string tightly and finally breaks the bow . However, another avatar of Vishnu, Parashurama, became really angry as the bow of Shiva was broken . However, he does not realize that Rama is also an avatar of Vishnu, therefore after being informed of this, he apologizes for getting angry . Thus, Rama fulfills Janaka's condition to marry Sita . Later on Vivaha Panchami, a marriage ceremony is conducted under the guidance of Satananda . Rama marries Sita, Bharata marries Mandavi, Lakshmana marries Urmila and Shatrughna marries Shrutakirti . </P> <P> Some time after the wedding, Kaikeyi, Rama's stepmother, compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king, prompted by the coaxing of her maid Manthara, and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile in the forests of Dandaka and later Panchavati . Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced the comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile . The Panchavati forest became the scene for Sita's abduction by Ravana, King of Lanka . Ravana kidnapped Sita, disguising himself as a mendicant, while Rama was away fetching a golden deer to please her . Some versions of the Ramayana describe Sita taking refuge with the fire - god Agni, while Maya Sita, her illusionary double, is kidnapped by the demon - king . Jatayu, the vulture - king, tried to protect Sita but Ravana chopped off his wings . Jatayu survived long enough to inform Rama of what had happened . </P> <P> Ravana took her back to his kingdom in Lanka and Sita was held as a prisoner in one of his palaces . During her captivity for a year in Lanka, Ravana expressed his desire for her; however, Sita refused his advances and struggled to maintain her chastity . Hanuman was sent by Rama to seek Sita and eventually succeeded in discovering Sita's whereabouts . Sita gave Hanuman her jewellery and asked him to give it to her husband . Hanuman returned across the sea to Rama . </P> <P> Sita was finally rescued by Rama, who waged a war to defeat Ravana . Upon rescue, Rama makes Sita undergo a trial by fire to prove her chastity . In some versions of Ramayana, during this test the fire - god Agni appears in front of Rama and attests to Sita's purity, or hands over to him the real Sita and declares it was Maya Sita who was abducted by Ravana . The Thai version of the Ramayana, however, tells of Sita walking on the fire, of her own accord, to feel clean, as opposed to jumping in it . She is not burnt, and the coals turn to lotuses . </P>

Who was the first one to find where sita was being held captive