Janaki Mandir, Janakpur, Dhanusha

 Janaki Mandir, Janakpur, Dhanusha

Janakpur is situated in the Mithila region of Nepal south of the capital Kathmandu, and is a major pilgrimage site as it is the birthplace of Sita, heroine of the epic Ramayana. The massive and magnificent Janaki Mandir - Janaki is the other name of Sita, the daughter of King Janak - was constructed in 1874 by Rani Brishbhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh, a small state in central India. The temple, a blend of Mughal and local architecture, is of three storeys and has 60 rooms, making it the largest temple in Nepal. It is also called the Naulakha temple as it then cost nine lakh rupees, or Rs. 900,000 (a massive amount by any consideration) for its construction. The temple houses an idol of Sita which was found near Ayodhya, the kingdom of Ram, her consort.
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 consecrated. Another well known temple in the vicinity is Ram Mandir built by Amar Singh Thapa in 1782. It is a pagoda style temple and hence is different from the other temples in Janakpur which generally bear resemblance to Mughal architecture.
A female statue, said to be of Yogamaya, in this temple has the reputation of being one of the most beautiful images of female form in Nepal. Other holy sites of interest include the Ram Temple, Laxman Temple, Sankat Mochan Temple and Hanuman Temple. There are a large number of ponds considered sacred in Janakpur area, including Ganga Sagar and Dhanush Sagar. The best known Ganga Sagar is situated in front of the Ram Temple.
Hundreds and thousands of devotees and pilgrims from Nepal and India visit Janakpur during Ram Nawami, the birthday of Ram which lies in the month of Chaitra (April) and Vivah Panchami, the day of matrimony of Ram and Sita, in the month of Mangsir (December).

Access: Janakpur is linked by highway with all the major towns and cities of Nepal. There are also regular flights linking Janakpur with Kathmandu.