Janakpur in the eastern Terai is one of the
oldest and most famous cities of Nepal. Mithila was the capital
of the Videha (bodyless) spiritual Janakas, the rulers who
were the embodiment of spiritual attainment. Janaki, Sita
was born to Sivadhwaga Janaka and was married to Rama, the
King of Ayodhya the legendary hero of the great epic Ramayana.
A great centre of learning for scholars in ancient times,
Janakpur once had hundreds of sages who contributed substantially
to Hindu philosophy, with one of their oldest works being
the famous Upanisad Brihadarandyaka written in the form of
a dialogue which deals with the gods, the nature of Brahma,
the supreme reality and the introduction to the self.
Predominantly inhabited by Maithilis, it
has its own language, script and a rich artistic tradition
and culture. The religious Mithila art is well known in the
local and international art world. 
Janakpur is a city of dozens of holy pools,
with a number of ancient sites, some of which have yet to
be identified. The really famous object for adoration in Janakpur
is the Janaki temple which is some times compared with the
Taj Mahal of India. A simple construction to start with, the
present structure owes its existence to King Pralapa Singh
and his consort who donated hundreds of thousands of silver
coins when they were blessed with a child by Sita, enshrined
within the temple. Started about 1895, it took a number of
years to evolve into its present shape and was completed in
1911.
Constructed in an area of 4,860 sq. feet
in a mixed style of Islamic and Rajput Domes the temple is
50 metres high; a three storeyed structure made entirely of
stone and marble. All its 60 rooms are decorated with coloured
glass, engrav- ings and paintings, with beautiful lattice
windows and turrets.
Thousands of pilgrims visit the temple in
November/December for Vivah Panchami ( marriage over 5 days
), the town s major annual festival, when the marriage of
Sita and Rama is celebrated with various re-enactments. A
popular time too for modern day weddings. |
