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After leaping across the ocean to reach Lanka, Hanuman ji searched tirelessly through Ravana's kingdom before finally discovering Mata Sita — grief-stricken, held captive, and surrounded by demon guards — seated beneath a Simsupa tree in the garden known as Ashok Vatika. To prove he had truly been sent by Shri Ram and was not another trick devised by Ravana, Hanuman ji dropped Ram's own signet ring before her — a single, unmistakable token that instantly transformed Mata Sita's despair into overwhelming hope. This moment, one of the most emotionally powerful episodes in the entire Ramayana, is deeply cherished by devotees at Shri Pracheen Narasimha Hanuman Mandir — Patthar Wale Baba — in Chandni Chowk, embodying the very essence of Hanuman ji's role as Ram Doot, the messenger who carries hope across impossible distances.

This guide tells the complete story of Hanuman ji's search for Mata Sita, the tender exchange between devotee and devoted wife, and the dramatic events that followed — including the burning of Lanka itself.

A Desperate Search Through an Unfamiliar Kingdom

After his extraordinary leap across the ocean — defeating the naga mother Surasa and the shadow-demon Simhika along the way — Hanuman ji arrived in Lanka under cover of darkness, shrinking himself to a tiny, inconspicuous size to move undetected through Ravana's heavily guarded kingdom. He searched methodically and with growing urgency: through opulent palaces, through Ravana's own private chambers, through mansion after mansion, finding no trace of Mata Sita anywhere.

As despair began to creep into his heart, fearing his mission might fail before it had truly begun, Hanuman ji came upon a secluded, beautifully maintained garden unlike anywhere else he had seen in Lanka — the Ashok Vatika. Despite its natural beauty, fragrant blossoms, and graceful trees, a palpable sorrow hung heavy in the air. There, beneath a Simsupa tree, surrounded by fearsome rakshasi guards, sat a woman — thin from grief, dressed simply, her face marked by tears, yet radiating an unmistakable inner light despite her suffering.

Hanuman ji knew instantly: this was Mata Sita.

Overhearing Ravana's Threat

Concealed among the branches, Hanuman ji witnessed Ravana himself approach Mata Sita, pressing his demand that she accept him as her husband, giving her a fixed period of time to relent or face dire consequences. Mata Sita, despite her captivity and vulnerability, responded with unwavering resolve and dignity, remaining utterly devoted to Shri Ram and refusing Ravana's advances with the same steadfast courage that defined her throughout her trials.

Witnessing this exchange, Hanuman ji's admiration and resolve deepened even further. He understood now, with complete clarity, both the danger Mata Sita faced and the depth of faith that sustained her even in the darkest of circumstances. His mission had never felt more urgent.

The Careful Approach — Proving He Was Truly Ram's Messenger

Once Ravana and his guards had departed and the rakshasi attendants had fallen into a deep, unnatural slumber through Hanuman ji's subtle intervention, he faced a delicate challenge: how could he approach a grieving, cautious woman — surrounded until moments ago by threats and deception — without frightening her or being mistaken for yet another trick devised by her captors?

Seated quietly on a branch above her, as evening settled over the garden, Hanuman ji began to softly narrate the story of Shri Ram — his lineage, his exile, his unwavering search for his beloved wife. Mata Sita, hearing Ram's name spoken with such tenderness and detail, was astonished, uncertain whether to trust what she was hearing or fear it as another cruel illusion.

To dispel any remaining doubt, Hanuman ji dropped Shri Ram's signet ring gently before her. Mata Sita, seeing the ring fall as though from the sky itself, examined it in astonishment and disbelief — and recognised it immediately as unmistakably genuine, a ring no one but Ram himself could possess. In that instant, the despair that had weighed upon her for so long began, finally, to lift.

"Where Is My Ram? How Is He?"

With the ring as unquestionable proof, Hanuman ji revealed himself fully — descending from the tree, joining his palms in reverence, and introducing himself: "Mata, I am Ram Doot Hanuman. My Lord Shri Ram has sent me here to find you." Mata Sita's eyes filled with tears at these words, and she asked, with all the longing of her long captivity, "Where is my Ram? How is he? Tell me, Hanuman!"

What followed was one of the most tender exchanges in the entire Ramayana — Hanuman ji recounting Shri Ram's unceasing love and determination to rescue her, Mata Sita finally allowing herself, after so long, to feel genuine hope. Hanuman ji offered to carry her back to Shri Ram immediately, sparing her any further suffering in captivity. But Mata Sita, with the same quiet dignity that defined her throughout her trials, declined — explaining that her rescue must come through Shri Ram himself, defeating Ravana in open battle, so that her honour and Ram's own might remain beyond question. She would not permit herself to be carried away secretly, even by so trusted a messenger.

Before Hanuman ji departed, Mata Sita gave him her Choodamani — a precious armlet — as a token to carry back to Shri Ram, unmistakable proof that Hanuman ji had truly found her. She also shared a quiet warning: if Ram did not come to rescue her within a specified time, she intended to end her own life rather than continue enduring Ravana's captivity — words that would only deepen the urgency burning in every heart preparing for the war to come.

The Burning of Lanka — Lanka Dahan

Before departing, Hanuman ji — driven by both strategic purpose and righteous fury at what Mata Sita had endured — began systematically destroying portions of the Ashok Vatika, including the sacred Pramada Vana at its centre, allowing his true strength to be witnessed and demonstrating unmistakably that Ram's forces had arrived at Lanka's very doorstep.

Ravana's soldiers eventually captured Hanuman ji and brought him before the demon king himself. In an act meant to humiliate this bold intruder, Ravana ordered Hanuman ji's tail set ablaze, intending to parade him through the city as a warning to any who might defy Lanka's power. But Hanuman ji, far from humiliated, used this very fire to devastating effect — leaping from rooftop to rooftop across the city, his flaming tail setting building after building alight, until much of Lanka burned in the chaos he unleashed. Remarkably, tradition holds that Hanuman ji himself remained entirely unharmed by these very flames, protected by the purity of his devotion and the blessings that had marked him since infancy.

Having delivered both hope to Mata Sita and a devastating message of Ram's approaching power to Ravana's kingdom, Hanuman ji made the great leap back across the ocean, returning to Shri Ram with news that would change the course of the entire war: Mata Sita had been found, she remained unwavering in her devotion, and she awaited her husband's arrival with unbroken faith.

Why This Story Moves Devotees So Deeply

The story of Hanuman ji finding Mata Sita resonates so powerfully across generations because it captures something universally understood — the particular anguish of separation from someone deeply loved, and the extraordinary relief that even a single token, a single piece of proof that one has not been forgotten, can bring to a heart in despair. The ring Hanuman ji dropped before Mata Sita was a small object carrying an immense weight of meaning: it told her, without a single word needing to be spoken, that she had not been abandoned, that her husband's love remained as steadfast as her own.

This episode also reveals the full depth of Hanuman ji's character as Ram Doot — not merely a powerful warrior capable of leaping oceans and burning cities, but a being of extraordinary sensitivity, capable of the gentlest possible approach to a frightened, grieving woman, understanding intuitively that trust must be earned carefully before hope can be offered. Every quality that makes Hanuman ji beloved — strength paired with gentleness, courage paired with wisdom, ferocity paired with tenderness — is on full display in this single episode.

🙏 Devotee Tip: When facing your own period of separation or waiting — for a prayer to be answered, for a difficult situation to resolve, for someone you love to return to you — reflect on Mata Sita's unwavering faith throughout her captivity, and on the way even a small sign of hope, delivered at exactly the right moment, can restore an entire heart. At Patthar Wale Baba, many devotees find comfort in this story precisely because it reminds them that Bajrangbali specialises in carrying exactly this kind of hope — arriving, often unexpectedly, with proof that one has not been forgotten.

A Messenger of Hope, Then and Now

Centuries after this encounter in Ashok Vatika, Hanuman ji remains, in the hearts of devotees, exactly what he was to Mata Sita on that evening in Lanka — a bearer of hope who arrives precisely when despair feels heaviest, carrying unmistakable proof that one's prayers have been heard and one's devotion has not gone unnoticed. This is the very energy devotees seek when they stand before the sacred stone at Patthar Wale Baba, offering their own prayers of longing and asking Bajrangbali to carry word of their devotion, just as he once carried a ring across an ocean.

For darshan timings and more stories of Hanuman ji's devotion, visit pattharwalebaba.com.

Jai Bajrangbali. Jai Shree Ram. Jai Mata Sita.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Hanuman ji find Mata Sita in Lanka?

After leaping across the ocean and searching through Ravana's palaces, Hanuman ji found Mata Sita in the Ashok Vatika garden, seated beneath a Simsupa tree, grief-stricken and surrounded by demon guards, having recognised her by her sorrow and unwavering devotion to Shri Ram.

Why did Hanuman ji give Mata Sita a ring?

Hanuman ji dropped Shri Ram's signet ring before Mata Sita to prove he was truly sent by Ram and not another trick by Ravana. The ring's authenticity instantly convinced her, restoring her hope after prolonged captivity and despair.

Why did Mata Sita refuse to be carried back to Ram by Hanuman?

Mata Sita declined Hanuman ji's offer to carry her away immediately, insisting that her rescue must come through Shri Ram himself defeating Ravana in battle, so that both their honour would remain beyond question.

Why did Hanuman ji burn Lanka?

After being captured and having his tail set ablaze as a humiliation by Ravana's forces, Hanuman ji used the very fire to leap across Lanka's rooftops, setting much of the city ablaze — remaining miraculously unharmed himself due to his purity and divine protection.

What token did Mata Sita give Hanuman ji to bring back to Ram?

Mata Sita gave Hanuman ji her Choodamani, a precious armlet, as unmistakable proof that he had truly found her. She also shared her resolve and the limited time she could endure captivity, adding urgency to Ram's mission to rescue her.