In her palace, Sita prays to Shiva that she attains an ideal husband. Her cousin sister, Mandavi asks her what she would seek in a partner, and Sita says that she seeks someone in whom she sees Vishnu. On the way to Mithila, Vishvamitra and the two princes come across Sage Gautama's hermitage, where his wife, Ahilya, has been turned into stone due to a curse. Rama liberates her with his divine touch. After transforming back from her stone form, she falls at his feet, and at her request, he sends her to heaven. When Vishvamitra and the princes reach the palace, Janaka is drawn to their auras. Sita's friend passing by sees them, too, and runs to tell Sita of their magnificence. She wants to bring Sita to the guesthouse to see the princes herself, but Sita does not want to break tradition and promises to only marry the man who wins the swayamvara. The next morning, Vishvamitra asks the princes to get him flowers from the garden for his puja. Sita and her friends are also in the garden