Janakpur

The Hindu mythological birthplace of Princess Sita, home to the grand white Janaki Mandir, with evening prayers at sacred ponds and Mithila paintings all over town.

Janakpur (also called Janakpurdham) lies on the Terai plains of southeastern Nepal. It is the capital of Madhesh Province, only about 20 km from the border with the Indian state of Bihar. Once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Mithila, it is the birthplace of Princess Sita in the Indian epic Ramayana and the place where Rama and Sita were married, making it an important Hindu pilgrimage city as well as the center of Maithili language, painting and folk culture. The climate is subtropical, most pleasant from October to March; April–June is scorching, topping 40°C, and June–September is the monsoon season. Festivals are the big draw: Vivah Panchami in Nov–Dec reenacts the wedding of Rama and Sita, Ram Navami falls in Mar–Apr, and Chhath, after Diwali in Oct–Nov, is celebrated beside the sacred ponds. The main sights are concentrated in the old town: the white Janaki Mandir and the adjacent Vivah Mandap, with Ram Mandir, Ganga Sagar and Dhanush Sagar within walking distance; the evening aarti beside the ponds is well worth seeing. At the Janakpur Women's Art Center in the south of town, you can admire and buy Mithila paintings. Half-day trips go to the sacred site of Dhanusha to the northeast or Jaleshwar to the southwest, and you can ride Nepal's only passenger railway across the plains. Getting there: several daily flights of about 25 minutes connect Kathmandu with Janakpur Airport, or it's about 7–9 hours by road via the BP Highway. Electric tuk-tuks and cycle rickshaws are the main way to get around town. One to two days is usually enough. Remove your shoes and dress modestly when visiting temples; guard against the heat in summer, and book accommodation early during festivals, when it fills up.

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