Trijata

Trijata (Sanskrit: त्रिजटा, IAST: Trijaṭā) is a rakshasi (demoness) in the Hindu epic Ramayana who is assigned the duty of guarding goddess Sita who was kidnapped by the demon-king of Lanka Ravana. In later adaptions of Ramayana, Trijata is described as a daughter of Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana.

In the Ramayana, Trijata appears as a wise old rakshasi, who dreams of Ravana's destruction and the victory of God Rama, the husband of goddess Sita who wages war against Ravana to rescue goddess Sita. Trijata accompanies goddess Sita on a survey of the battlefield of the war between God Rama and demon Ravana, and reassures goddess Sita of God Rama's well-being when goddess Sita sees her husband unconscious and presumes him dead. In later Ramayana adaptations, Trijata becomes the daughter of Vibhishana, the brother of Ravana who sides with God Rama. She plays a much greater role in later versions, especially Southeast Asian ones.

Barring a few exceptions where Trijata is cast as Ravana's agent, she is generally portrayed as a friend and loyal companion of goddess Sita in her adversity. On numerous occasions, she offers solace to goddess Sita and brings news from the outside world; she also dissuades goddes Sita from committing suicide. After God Rama's victory and Ravana's death, Trijata is richly rewarded by goddess Sita and God Rama. While some Ramayana adaptations mention her being a devotee of God Rama, Southeast Asian versions often depict her as the wife of God Rama's vanara general God Hanuman, whom she bears a son. She is worshipped as a local goddess in Varanasi and Ujjain; both in India.