Janakpur Travel Guide
City of Sita and Mithila Art
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Birthplace of Sita and site of her wedding to Rama, their story told in the Ramayana Janakpur is a holy city revered by Hindus. Capital of the ancient state of Mithila there are narrow streets to wander, holy places and sacred kunds or pools to discover as well as a thriving art scene.
Located in the eastern Terai the pleasant town of Janakpur is reputedly the birthplace of Sita, daughter of King Janak and wife of Lord Rama. Given this and of her important role in Hinduism (Rama is an incarnation of Vishnu) the city has over many hundreds of years become a magnet for pilgrims.
The city was the capital of Mithila and Maithili has its own script and is spoken by around two million people. Motorised traffic is banned from the city centre for the most part and tourists are few, so it’s a peaceful place with its narrow winding streets and sacred pools. The large marble Janaki Mandir is dedicated to Sita and dates from 1911 and is the main temple in the town.
The Janakpur Women’s Development Center is a women’s co-operative keeping alive the traditional Mithila painting style. They make clothing, ceramics, screen print, sew and create a type of tapestry. A visit is well worthwhile.
Attractions in Janakpur
The Janaki Mandir is held to stand on the spot where King Janak came across baby Sita in a ploughed field and is the main temple in Janakpur.
There are several others around town including the disconcerting Hanuman Temple where a large monkey is overfed by pilgrims making it incredibly obese.
The Janakpur Women’s Development Centre lies a few kilometres out of town and is certainly worth a visit to see their handicrafts and displays of traditional Mithila artwork – a visit can be combined with an exploration of nearby villages which are very traditional and decorated in the local style.
Take a ride on the train - a narrow gauge line that extends 53 km from Janakpur to Jaynagar across the Indian border and it’s a fun ride to travel as far as Khajuri (incidentally a large depot with many rusting steam locomotives) through fields and traditional villages.
Activities in Janakpur
Allow at least a full day and overnight to explore Janakpur and it surrounds, longer if you want to take the train ride. The town makes a convenient break in the journey from Kathmandu east to Karkarbhitta en route to Darjeeling in India.
Relaxing
The Rooftop Family Restaurant opposite the Janaki Mandir provides a great spot to watch the comings and goings in the square below.
Getting Around
The city can be explored on foot but to get out and about to you’ll need either your own transport (in the form of the vehicle you arrived in, a local taxi or rickshaw) or – better still - to hire a bike, perhaps from your hotel.
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