After Marich was humiliated and thrown to the seashore, Sri Rama killed many other demons like Subahu, Khara and Dushan with his deadly Agnibaan. Since then onwards, Vishwamitra and the other sages performed their oblations fearlessly.

Sri Rama spent his days in the hermitage learning the Vedas and other religious scriptures. In the meantime, king Janak had organised a Swayamvar for his daughter Sita at Janakpur. He had invited kings, princes, sages, hermits from all over the world for the Swayamvar.

Vishwamitra was also invited to attend the Swayamvar. He asked Sri Rama and Laxmana to come along with him to Janakpur. Thus accompanied by Sri Rama and Laxmana, Vishwamitra left for Janakpur. On the way, they found an abandoned hermitage, which bore a very deserted look with no vegetation around it and virtually no sign of life. A little further away, Sri Rama noticed a stone idol of a woman lying on the ground.

Sri Rama was amazed to see all these things. He asked Vishwamitra about the reason. Then Vishwamitra replied that it was sage Gautam's wife, Ahilya whom he had converted into a statue by a curse. He also told Sri Rama that she would be liberated only when he touched her with his foot.

Sri Rama followed his instructions and touched the statue with his foot and it instantly transformed into a woman. She offered salutations to Sri Rama and left to meet her husband in heaven.

DESCENT OF GANGA:

They had moved little further when they sighted the holy Ganges who was brought down to earth from heaven by her own ancestor, Bhagirath. Sage Vishwamitra narrated the story of Ganga's descent.

The sixty thousand sons of king Sagar were incinerated by sage Kapil's curse. It was necessary for their liberation that the holy Ganges should be brought down to earth.

Sage Bhagirath observed severe penance for Gange's descent on earth. When Brahma requested Ganga to descend on earth, she feared that the earth would not be able to bear her tremendous force and that she would penetrate even the surface of the earth to enter the nether-world (Pataal loka). Bhagirath then pleased Lord Shiva by his penance and he ultimately accepted to hold Ganga in his matted hair. Ganges then descended down on earth and liberated the sixty thousand sons of Sagar.

Sri Rama was very pleased to hear this narration. He made salutations to the holy Ganges and took a holy dip in the water of the Ganges.

Very soon, they reached Janakpur the kingdom of Janak. They were amazed by the beauty and majesty of Janakpur, which was full of gardens and parks, lakes and ponds. Goswami Tulsidas has written in the Manas-

BAG TARAG BILOKI PRABHU, HARSHE BANDHU SAMET
PARAM RAMYA ARAMYA YAHA, JO RAM HIN SUKH DET.