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| Janki Temple (Janakpurdham) |
- the center of Janakpur is dominated by the impressive Janaki Mandir to the north and west of the bazaar
- This temple, one of the biggest in Nepal, was built in 1898 (1955 in the Nepali calendar) by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwar of Tikamgarh
- It is also called "Nau Lakha Mandir" after the cost of construction, said to be nine (NAU) lakh
- Pilgrims also visit the more than 200 sacred ponds in the city for ritual baths
- The two most important,
- Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar, are located close to the city center
- The Vivah Mandap temple where Lord Rama and Sita are said to have been married
- It is situated next to the Janki Mandir
- Janakpur in the eastern Terai is one of the oldest and most famous cities of Nepal
- Mithila was the capital of the Videha (bodyless) spiritual Janakas, the rulers who were the embodiment of spiritual attainment
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| Janki Temple (Janakpurdham) |
- Janaki, Sita was born to Sivadhwaga Janaka and was married to Rama, the King of Ayodhya the legendary hero of the great epic Ramayana
- A great center of learning for scholars in ancient times, Janakpur once had hundreds of sages who contributed
- substantially to Hindu philosophy, with one of their oldest works being the famous Upanisad Brihadarandyaka written in the form of a dialogue which deals with the gods, the nature of Brahma, the supreme reality and the introduction to the self
- Predominantly inhabited by Maithilis, it has its own language, script, and a rich artistic tradition and culture
- The religious Mithila art is well known in the local and international art world
- Janakpur is a city of dozens of holy pools, with a number of ancient sites, some of which have yet to be identified
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| Janki Temple (Janakpurdham) |
- The really famous object of adoration in Janakpur is the Janaki temple which is sometimes compared with the Taj Mahal of India
- A simple construction to start with, the present structure owes its existence to King Pralapa Singh and his consort who donated hundreds of thousands of silver coins when they were blessed with a child by Sita, enshrined within the temple
- Started about 1895, it took a number of years to evolve into its present shape and was completed in 1911
- Constructed in an area of 4,860 sq. feet in a mixed style of Islamic and Rajput Domes the temple is 50 meters high; a three-storeyed structure made entirely of stone and marble
- All its 60 rooms are decorated with colored glass, engravings, and paintings, with beautiful lattice windows and turrets
- Thousands of pilgrims visit the temple in November/December for Vivah Panchami ( marriage over 5 days ), the town s major annual festival, when the marriage of Sita and Rama is celebrated with various re-enactments
- A popular time too for modern day weddings
- Pilgrims flock here by the thousands to pay homage at the massive and magnificent Janaki Mandir – Janaki being the other name of Sita, the daughter of King Janak
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| Janki Temple (Janakpurdham) |
- The temple houses an idol of Sita which was found near Ayodhya, the kingdom of Ram
- The marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita is celebrated in Janakpur every year on Vivah Panchami day which falls in December
- In the southwest corner of Janaki Mandir is the Vivah Mandap, which has been built at the site where the marriage of Ram and Sita is said to have been taken place
- Another well-known temple in the vicinity is Ram Mandir, built in pagoda style, and hence is different from the other temples in Janakpur which generally bear resemblance to Mughal architecture
Janki Temple (Janakpurdham)
- The oldest temple in Janakpur is Ram Mandir, built by the Gurkhali soldier Amar Singh Thapa
- It houses a female statue, said to be of Yogamaya, which has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful images of female forms in Nepal
- Other holy sites of interest include the Laxman Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple, and Hanuman Temple
