JANAKPUR NEPAL

Janakpurdham Nepal

Location: Southern Nepal near Indian Boarder

Janakpurdham is composed of three words i.e. ‘Janak’, ‘Pur’ and ‘Dham’, which mean ‘father’, ‘village’ and ‘renowned place for pilgrimage’ respectively in Devnagri Script. Janakpurdham is also known as Janakpur in general word, is one of the historical, cultural, traditional and religious city of Nepal.

Janakpur is the birthplace of Sita, the Hindu goddess and wife of Lord Rama. It is also the capital of ancient Mithila kingdom and is the home of the unique Mithila artifacts in Nepal. Janakpur, also called Janakpur Dham, is about 135 kilometers from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. The main attraction of the city is its Janaki Temple. The Temple is dedicated to Goddess Sita who was married to Rama and was the central character of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. This temple was built in 1911 and is in many aspects reminiscent of Islamic architecture. Another landmark of Janakpur are the numerous sacred ponds for ritual baths that are scattered all over the city. The 2 most important ones are close to the Janaki temple and are known as Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar. Nearby is another temple that is called 'Sita-Ram vivah mandir'. The temple is said to be built at the place where Lord Rama was married to Sita. Marriage anniversary of Ram and Sita is observed every year here through a festival that is also observed throughout Nepal. The place is very popular among the Hindus all over the world.This region is heavily influenced from the Mithila region of Bihar, a state in the eastern part of India. The place offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about Mithila culture and its people. The city is famous for Mithila artifacts such as Mithila paintings and potteries. Most of these paintings have, the life history of Lord Buddha as their subject. A good Mithila painting is a must buy.

How to reach:

Regular bus services are available from Kathmandu and other cities. It has an all weather airport with regular flights from Kathmandu.

Attraction:Janaki Temple

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The city is the birth place of Goddess Sita and is the origin of the unique Mithila culture in Nepal. The Headquarter of Dhanusha district of Nepal is about 390 km and can be crossed in about 9 hours 40 mins (average speed by vehicle) from Kathmandu and 20 km from the Indian border.. This is a popular city in the terai region (Terai = lower part of Nepal having Flat-Land).

Janaki temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Sita. This region also offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to learn about Mithila culture and tradition of people. Hindu pilgrims from India and Nepal visit this region to pay their respect to the Goddess, while many foreigners make a side-trip to the region to learn about the unique Janakpur life!

In ancient times, Janakpurdham was the capital city of the Kingdom of Mithila and the centre of Maithil culture during the Treta Yug, or period, nearly 12,000 years ago.

map-of-ancient-mithila

Mithila is an ancient cultural region of South Nepal and North India lying between the lower ranges of the Himalayas and the Ganges River. The Nepal border cuts across the top fringe of this region. The Gandak and Kosi Rivers are rough western and eastern boundaries of Mithila.

The Ramayana records a dynastic marriage between Prince Rama of Ayodhya and Sita, the daughter of Raja Janak of Mithila. The town of Janakpur, in the northern Nepali section of Mithila, is believed to be Janak’s old capital. And Sita is a Mithila girl.

Ramayan

Ramayan main characters

Dasrath with kekei

Sita and Ram

Laxman cuts nose of surpnrekha

Golden deer

Laxman lining to Sita not cross line

Ravan kidnapping Sita

Gidhraj telling about Sita

Bridge making

Sita blessing Hanuman

Agni parikchha

Ram and Sita One of the greatest epics of all time is Ramayan, which is a Hindu story of God Ram and his wife Goddess Sita, their marriage, their struggle, sacrifice, and many facets of life. Ram marries Sita, then has to live for years in isolation from her before returning back to his royal palace. Sita is captured by Demon named Rawan. In the end, Sita disappears under the ground, and she is regarded as the Goddess of the Earth. Sita, the incarnation of the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi, is regarded as the perfect daughter, wife, and mother, and the most beloved diety in Hindu countries like Nepal and India.

There are a number of places to visit in Janakpur:

1. Janaki Mandir (Janaki Temple)

2. Ram Mandir (The oldest temple of the city)

3. Vivah Mandap with its beautiful garden

4. Barah Bigaha (The largest playground in the city)

5. Ratna Sagar Temple(Ratna sagar Pond)

6. Bihar Kund and Agni Kund Near Ramanand Chowk.

7. The ancient Bibah Mandap Of God Ram & Sita Pidari -13,Rani Bajar.

8. Ganga Sagar & Dhanush Sagar (The sacred ponds among many)

9. The Shiva Mandir (Near Janaki Chowk)

10. The Old Hanuman Mandir (Near Pirari Chowk)

11. The Janak Cinema (The only multiplex theatre in the city)

12. The City Airport

13. The Rastriya Vanijya Bank (made from foreign contribution)

14. The Janakpur Rail (It is fun riding the narrow gauge rail)

15. The J. Women Development Centre (Near city Airport, have a close look at Mithila art)

About Janakpur

Janakpur, (Nepali: जनकपुर also known as Janakpurdham, is one of the historical and religious cities of Nepal. Janakpur is the administrative headquarters of Dhanusa District of the Janakpur Zone and has a population of approximately 80,000. The city is located about 123 km south-east of Kathmandu, 20 km from the Indian border at 26° 42' 44" N, 085° 55' 18" E. Janakpur has a substantial tourism industry due to its significance in the Hindu religion and is home to the only operational railway in Nepal, theJanakpur Railway.

History

Deities of Sri Sita Devi (far right) and Sri Rama (center) (with Sri Lakshmana (far left) and Sri Hanuman (below seated))

Janakpur, historically called Mithilanchal, is the centre of the ancient Maithil culture, which has its own language and script.

The first millennium BC text Shatapatha Brahmana tells that the king Māthava Videgha, led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, first crossed the Sadānirā (Gandaka) river and founded the kingdom of Videha, whose capital city was Mithila. As Gotama Rahugana composed many hymns in the Rgveda, these events must date to the Rgvedic period.

The most important historical reference to Mithila/Janakpur is in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's wife Sita Devi (also called Janaki) is said to have been the princess of Videha. Her father, King Janak, found baby Sita in a furrow of a field and raised her as his daughter. When she grew up, the king announced that she should be wed by whoever was able to string the divine bow of Shiva. Though many royal suitors tried, Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya, alone could even lift the bow. As Rama and Sita are major figures in Hinduism, Janakpur is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus.

In addition, both the great saints Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, and Vardamana Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the Jain religion, are said to have lived in Mithila/Janakpur. The region was an important centre of Indian history during the first millennium.

Geography and climate

Ratna Sagar, Janakpur

Water tank near Aargza pokhair (pond), Janakpur

Janakpur is located in the Terai, alluvial, forested and marshy terrain at the base of the Himalaya mountain range. The major rivers surrounding Janakpur are Dudhmati, Jalad, Rato, Balan and Kamala. Janakpur is famous for its temples and the numerous ponds which carry significant religious importance.

One can see all the six seasons in Janakpur. Basant ritu (Spring - February/March), Grisma ritu (Summer - April/May/June), Barsha ritu (Rainy - July/August), Sharad ritu (Autumn - September/October), Hemanta ritu (Autumn-winter - November/December), Shishir ritu (Winter - December/January).

The best time to visit Janakpur is from September to March as the weather is pleasant and several festivals fall during this period.

Economy

Janakpur is one of the fast developing cities of Nepal and is on the way to meet the criteria for being the 3rd Sub-Metropolitan city of Nepal. The city has good health care facilities and lots of park in city, as well as good private schools and colleges and Internet service providers. The economy is mostly based on agriculture and local industries.

Janakpur attracts migrants from the surrounding area, who move to the city for medical care, education and jobs. The largest employer is the Janakpur Cigarette Factory Limited and janakpur railway There are also two poles factories and one hume pipe factory.

Transport

A train at Janakpur railway station.

Janakpur has a domestic airport (IATA: JKR, ICAO: VNJP) with most flights connecting to Kathmandu. The narrow-gauge Janakpur Railway is the only operational railway in Nepal. It connects Janakpur to the Indian town of Jaynagar. Bicycle is common mode of transportation. Frequent bus services operate between Janakpur and other cities of Nepal. Within the city, travelers may hire manually pulled cycle rickshaws or City bus and taxi.

Demographics

The Maithili language is widely spoken in the area as the first language. Nepali and Hindi are well-understood. Other similar languages like Bhojpuri and Awadhi are also understood but relatively less frequently used.

Culture

Temples and festivals

Janki Mandir, Janakpur, Nepal. [1]

The centre 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. The oldest temple in Janakpur is Ram Mandir, built by the Gurkhali soldier Amar Singh Thapa. 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 centre. The Vivah Mandap temple where Lord Rama and Sita are said to have been married. It is situated next to the Janki Mandir.

Chhath in Janakpur

Major religious celebrations include the major Hindu festivals such as Deepawali, and Vijayadashami followed by spectacular Chhath(sun worship) six days after Deepawali. Both the festivals Deepawali and Chhath are heavily celebrated with a carnival-like atmosphere. The locals take pride in the way these festivals are celebrated.

On the full moon day of February/March before the festival of Holi, a one-day Parikrama (circumambulation) of the city is celebrated. Many people offer prostrated obeisances along the entire eight km route. Two other festivals honor Rama and Sita: Rama Navami, the birthday of Lord Rama, in March–April, draws thousands of pilgrims. And the Vivaha Panchami or Vivaha festival re-enacts the wedding of Rama and Sita at the famous Vivah Mandap temple on the fifth day of the waxing moon in November or early December(after Kartik Purnima),where Rama broke the bow of Shiva.

Pilgrims stay in one of the city's five good hotels or small guest houses. There are also five fully equipped dharmashalas (cheap lodgings for pilgrims).

Art

A snake charmer with a King cobra in Janakpur.

Maithili women are known for their traditional art, especially their paintings on pottery, walls and courtyards. These Mithila Paintings are famous internationally.

Entertainment

Janakpur has five movie theaters. They show new and old movies in Maithili, Bhojpuri, Nepali and Hindi. Hollywood movies are not that much popular among the locals. Apart from this, several stage shows, concerts and plays are occasionally organized by the local clubs and organizations. Prominent among these is Mithila Natyakala Parishad(MINAP), which is a not-for-profit organization, claiming to be dedicated towards promoting Mithila culture.

Hotels

Janakpur has several hotels including Hotel Manaki, Hotel Rama, Sita Palace, Hotel Welcome. There are also several cheaper lodges and Dharmsala(cheap accommodations) for pilgrims.

Education

Janakpur has good educational facilities and several elites of the country were schooled here, including the first president of the Federal Republic Of Nepal, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. There are many private and government schools and colleges located in Janakpurdham. The oldest government school for higher studies is Ra.Ra. Bahumukhi Campus(RR Multiple Campus), which is affiliated to Tribhuwan University. It offers undergraduate and post-graduate courses in several disciplines. Janakpur also boasts of having a medical college, Janaki Medical College, which is also affiliated to Tribhuwan University.

Radio: Mithila Sanchar Samuha 106.6 MHz

Mithila Culture

Mithila culture is found in the Terai region of Nepal such as the Janakpur region and also found all the way upto the Northern Bihar state of India. Legend has it that Janakpur was the capital of Mithila, and the palace of King Janak, Goddess Sita’s father. Often Sita is known by many names such as Janaki or Mythili. Mithila culture is rich with its own language known as Maithili, and with its own traditions, customs, arts and music. Many Mithila arts and paintings have historical and religious meanings, such arts are produced by many villagers specifically women’s draw paintings having colorful and thought provoking objects such as animals, Gods and Goddess which are painted on the walls of homes using simple colors such as clays and mud.