Janakpur

A city of grandiose temples and lively bazaars, Janakpur, nestled in the beautiful Terai foothills of southern Nepal is a cultural and religious treasure trove of alluring architecture and age-old traditions. Since its earliest beginnings the city has been shrouded in legend, famed for its mythical location as described in one of the most revered epics of Hinduism. It’s perhaps best known for drawing thousands of pilgrims every year to celebrate the various festivals in honour of Sita, who is said to have been born and betrothed on the site where the city now stands.

Your Janakpur tour guide manual will list the Janaki Mandir as the most visited religious site in town, and the largest temple in the whole of Nepal. Dating from the early 20th century, it is relatively new by Hindu standards, but is supremely important as the house of Sita’s golden idol, and highly regarded as one of Janakpur’s finest examples of the unique Rajput building style. The city is also peppered with hundreds of sacred ponds, myth logically and historically significant for the rites and rituals performed by Hindu pilgrims throughout the year.