Janakpur

Janakpur

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Aligned with the lifestyle of any other border towns in the Terai, Janakpur’s way of living is quite inclined towards an Indian one but that’s not all it has to offer. The thing absolutely peculiar which makes it stand out completely is the phenomenally religious atmosphere combined with exquisite culture and heritage. Despite the absence of architecture, it seems quite successful at eliciting that grandiose appearance like no other place in the terai offers. “Janakpur” named after the kingdom of king Janak is the home place of mother Sita(wife of Lord Ram). There are mainly five things you must not at any cost miss in Janakpur
The Janaki Temple
The Janaki Temple, situated at the very center of the city, quite famous in our Hindu Kingdom. Sita the wife of the legendary hero Ram was born in Janakpur. Across the year, many visitors come to pay respect to Ram and Sita who are the center of religious attractions in Janakpur. In Janakpur region, one of the famous festivals, in which their wedding is enacted by decorating temples and monuments, burning of oil-lamps surrounding the temple and other historical sites in the region, is carried out. The city is flooded by worshippers and visitors alike mainly during the festival of Bibah Panchami. During this period, the city is enlightened by the wedding festivities. Ram and Sita (Janaki) are the two central characters of the great Hindu epic Ramayan. According to the legend, Ram strings a bow that originally belonged to Lord Shiva the Destroyer and in the process; the bow breaks into three pieces. One piece flies up to heaven. Another falls down into the depths of the underworld. Today, you can find a massive pond called ‘Dhanush Sagar’ at that spot. The remaining piece represents Dhanushadham, about 40 kilometers from Janakpur. A huge rock shaped like a bow can be found there.

Dhanush Sagar & Ganga Sagar

‘Dhanush Sagar’ and ‘Ganga Sagar are two holy tanks located near Ram Mandir. Early morning hours mean numerous religious ablutions here. But in the festivities, these happen to be absolutely important as many religious ceremonies are held here. You can also find numerous cisterns all along the place, which have special religious value. As a matter of fact, King Janak built them as he expected the arrival of Gods after the holy marriage of Ram and Sita.

Rama Navami

This festival forms an important aspect of your tours to Janakpur. It commemorates the holy birthday of Lord Rama. It is an annual event and occurs during the period of late March and early April. Huge processions throughout the city of are common phenomena at this time of the year. Witnessing Rama Navami is one of the major components of tours to Janakpur.

Janaki Mandir

The Janaki Mandir was built for Mother Sita and has some history that comes with it. It was created in the year 1911 and is believed to have cost a prince Rs.9 lakhs for the construction which quite obviously was really lavish at that time. The temple reflects a fine blend of an Indo-Islamic structure. The dome of the temple resembles a palace in Rajasthan. The doors are ornately decorated with silver and it is believed that the statue of Sita was found in the Sarya River near Ayodhya.

Ram Sita Bibaha Mandir

The ‘Ram Sita Bibaha Mandir’ is yet another place that you cannot afford to miss if you are planning to go to Janakpur. Do not forget to include this in your tours to Janakpur. This is actually a pagoda style structure built in a traditional Nepalese architecture. You will be astounded at the sight of life-sized statues of Ram and Sita, the presiding deities of the beautiful pagoda. Not only this, but you will also be able to see the statues of the siblings of Lord Ram. This pagoda was built so that the wedding of Lord Ram and Sita could be remembered.