Dhanusha - Janakpur: Historic pond at Janaki temple Janakpur town Janakpur's temples Bibaha Panchami festival Janakpur's Railway Air service

Janakpur - Dhanusha: Historic pond at Janaki temple to be beautified

A musical water fountain is to be constructed at the historic pond on northern side of the Janaki temple and a green belt is to be laid out around it in Janakpurdham, a pilgrimage for the followers of Hindu religion. According to priest at the Janaki temple , a plan has been worked out to beautify the pond. The plan is also to turn it into a centre of attraction for people coming from within and outside the country.

The re-construction works will be carried out along the pond which will provide accommodation along with a water fountain.

Tourists can be allured with the beautification of the pond, Lal Bahadur Thapa of Janahit Sanrakshan Manch said and pointed out the need for concerted efforts for conserving and renovating the rest of the historic ponds lying in Janakpurdham. Goddess Sita is believed to be born in the town.

Janaki Temple is dedicated to the goddess Sita

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Janakpur

Janakpur is situated in mid-east in southern Nepal. It is the district headquarters of Dhanusha. It is identified as the ancient Mithila City on the basis of the evidence provided by the Brihat Vishnu Puran and the Ramayan (one of the two Hindu epics like the Mahabharat). This is also testified by the descriptions made in Buddhist (Pali) and jain scriptures.

Lying 370km south east of Kathmandu, Janakpurdham is another very holy place for the Hindus. Believed to be the birthplace of Sita, the better half of Lord Ram, Janakpurdham is flocked by pilgrims throughout the year to pay homage at Janaki Mandir, Ram Janaki Bivaha Mandap and Hanuman temple. Danushadham, 15km north of Janakpur city is another place of interest for the Hindu pilgrims. This is the place where Lord Ram broke the 'Shiva Dhanush' to win Sita.

Janakpur is the capital of the ancient state of Mithila and the Janaki Temple, - located in the center of the city, is well known in the Hindu Kingdom. Sita the- wife of the legendary hero Ram was born in Janakpur. Throughout the year, - many pilgrims come to pay their respects to Ram and Sita who are the main- religious attractions in Janakpur. The city is thronged by worshippers and- visitors alike especially during the festival of Bibah Panchami. This annual- festival is celebrated on the occasion of Ram and Sita's marriage and their- wedding ceremony is enacted throughout the week. During this period, the city is- enlivened by the wedding festivities.

Ram and Sita (Janaki) are the-two central characters of the-great Hindu epic Ramayan. In-the story, Ram strings a bow-that originally belonged to-Lord Shiva the Destroyer and-in the process, the bow breaks into three pieces. One piece flies up to heaven.-Another falls down into the depths of the underworld. Today, there is a huge pond-called Dhanush Sagar above the very spot. The third piece flies to present day-Dhanushadham, about 40 kilometers from Janakpur. There, visitors will see huge-rocks shaped liked a bow. Thus, after Ram's successful attempt to string the bow, Janaki's father, King Janak gives his daughter's hand in marriage to the brave-prince of Ayodhya.

A great religious place, Janakpur is famous as the birthplace of Sita, the consort of Lord Ram. There is an artistic marble temple of Sita (Janaki), Popularly known as Naulakha Mandir. Religious festivals, Trade fairs and other festivities are held here on Bivaha Panchami and Ram Navimi. Janakpur is also linked with Kathmandu by air and road.

Janakpur, a city in Nepal's eastern Terai, is a Hindu pilgrimage site with legendary history. God Ram and goddess Sita are said to have been married there, and each year Janakpur celebrates Ram1s birthday and his marriage anniversary.
People come to Janakpur from all over the world to see the Janaki Mandir, a Mogul- style temple dedicated to Sita. Janakpur was once the capital of a kingdom called Maithili whose territory extended into present day Bihar and it remains today the center of Maithili culture in Nepal.

Janakpur is accessible by the both land and air. It has an all-weather airport. There are regular internal (domestic) flights from Kathmandu and Biratnagar liking other internal and international flights. Overland, Janakpur is linked with Dhalkebar which is situated 23 km north-west on the National East West Mahendra Highway. Dhalkebar is a junction from where one can reach by bus to almost all the major cities of Nepal.
Bus services are easier means to reach Janakpur from southern border of India. It is linked up to the bordering Bhittamod, which is 19 km south-west from here encoMapssing Pipara and Jaleshwar (another famous pilgrimage known for water lord, the phallic image which is immersed in astepped pond). There are regular bus service to Muzaffarpur and Patna via Sitamarhi.

Janakpur has the only railway service in Nepal. It links Janakpur with the north-eastern railway station of Bihar - Jaynagar. Similarly, you can travel by train from Durbhanga and Samastipur to Janakpur via Jaynagar. Close by is another pilgrimage - Girijasthan, which was the family deity (Goddess) of King Janak and his successors. Thus thousands of pilgrims and tourists visit Janakpur round the year due to good transport facilities.

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Air service

Buddha Air service to Janakpur

Buddha Air has starting operating its daily flights to Janakpur. Janakpur is the sixth destination operated by Buddha Air established five years ago. It is already operating its flights to Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Bhadrapur and Nepalgunj.
Necon Air is already operating in Janakpur.