Janaka is traditionally identified as Sita’s adoptive father and the king of Mithila in the Ramayana.
The story says that Janaka discovered Sita while ploughing a field during a ritual. Because she emerged from the earth, he adopted her and named her Sita, a word associated with the furrow made by a plough. This origin connects Sita with the earth goddess and helps explain her recurring association with the land.
Janaka later arranged Sita’s marriage contest, or swayamvara. The challenge required a suitor to lift and string the enormous bow associated with Shiva. Rama succeeded, and Janaka accepted him as Sita’s husband.
Janaka is also portrayed in Hindu philosophical literature as a wise and spiritually accomplished ruler. The Ramayana’s Janaka should not be confused with Dasharatha, Rama’s father and the king of Ayodhya.