Janaki Mandir, Janakpur

Janakpur is revered as the capital of King Janak of Videha and the birthplace of Sita, heroine of the Ramayana. The Janaki Mandir, completed in 1910 by Queen Brisha Bhanu of Tikamgarh in India, is a vast Mughal–Rajput style building of white marble with domes, towers and sixty rooms. Its cost of nine lakh rupees earned it the nickname Naulakha Mandir.

The temple is busiest at Vivaha Panchami (Nov–Dec), when the wedding of Ram and Sita is re-enacted, and at Ram Navami. In the evenings, devotional singing fills the courtyard. Janakpur also has hundreds of sacred ponds such as Ganga Sagar and Dhanush Sagar, and the Ram Mandir nearby.

History

Tradition holds that a golden image of Sita was found at this spot in the 17th century by a saint, Sannyasi Shurkishordas, who founded the worship here. The present temple, completed in 1910, is sometimes called the Naulakha Mandir because it cost nine lakh rupees. Since the 2015 constitution Janakpur has also been the capital of Madhesh Province.

What to see and do

Walk through the main gate into the vast courtyard and see the inner sanctum with images of Sita and Ram. The temple's museum displays Ramayana-themed art and Mithila paintings. Nearby stand the Ram Mandir, the Vivaha Mandap (the wedding pavilion of Ram and Sita) and dozens of sacred ponds.

The temple is most magical in the evening, when it is lit up and filled with devotional singing, and during the Vivaha Panchami festival, when a re-enactment of the divine wedding draws pilgrims from across Nepal and India.

Good to know

Remove shoes before entering the courtyard; photography may be restricted inside the sanctum. Janakpur is hot from April to June; November to February is the most pleasant time. Rickshaws are the easiest way to get around the old city.