Popular Destinations

Janakpur is located about 225km southeast of Kathmandu. The city is a hub for religious and cultural tourism. The city is located in the Terai region of Nepal and is the administrative headquarters of Dhanusha district. The centre of Mithila culture, Janakpurdham is also one of the revered sites on the holy Parikrama (route undertaken by devout Hindus) along with Ayodhya, Kashi and Brij in India. The
pleasant weather, the grand and colourful festivities through the year, the stunning architecture of the temples and the friendly locals make Janakpur a favourite spot for tourists and pilgrims alike.

Dedicated to goddess Sita, this temple is said to be the birthplace of goddess Sita and her golden statue was found in this place in 1657. It is probably one of the most expensive constructions of that time. The mixed construction style of Mughal and Koiri domes can be seen in this temple. Comprises of fifty feet height, 4,860 sq. feet area and the three-storied structure entirely made up of marble and stones, this temple is highly revered by Hindu followers. The significance of this temple is also notably found in the popular Hindus holy book Ramayana.

The Ram Mandir is the oldest temple in Janakpur (1782) and is built in the classic tiered pagoda style of the hills. The main temple is dedicated to Rama but there are several smaller shrines to Shiva, Hanuman and Durga dotted around the compound. It’s busiest in the early evening when the courtyard is filled with
incense smoke and music.

Ganga Sagar, one of the historical ponds in Janakpur, is situated near to the Janak Mahal. This pond is named after the famous holy river in India – Ganga Sagar. It is said that the water of this pond is brought all the way from Ganga Sagar of India, so it is also considered as a sacred pond. This pond is worth seeing at night, when prayers are being performed on the riverbank with special chanting, music, and instruments. Aarti is organized every evening at Ganga Sagar is called Ganga Aarati.

After Shri Ram broke the bow, the wedding procession came from Ayodhya. Shri Ram got married along with his brothers. The place, where the wedding ceremony was performed, is called Mani Mandap near Rani Bazar in Janakpur. The small pond where the feet of all the four brothers were washed is near to this place. The Ygna Vedi for wedding still exists here.

It is one of the famous tourist destinations in Province 2. It is believed that the Shivlings in this temple were not built by anyone. It emerged itself in the historical period. It is said that this temple was seen in Jaleshwar before 300 years ago. However, the fame of this temple started to grow rapidly since the Janak Dynasty.

It is a very religious city of Hindus and also one of the most historical places in Nepal dating back to the time of the great epic Ramayana. According to the epic one (middle piece) of the three pieces of the bow fell at Dhanushadham when Lord Rama broke Shiva's heavenly bow after everyone failed to do so as in order to get married to Sita/Janaki. The other two pieces are supposed to have fallen in heaven and hell. The bow is still conserved safely at the Dhanus Mandir (the bow temple) at Dhanusha Dham.