Janakpur

Janakpur Dham is the birthplace of Janaki (Goddess Sita), the consort of Rama. Janakpur Dham is one of the most important religious pilgrimage sites for the Hindu Devotees. Janakpur, named after King Janak, is the headquarters of Dhanusha district. It is at a distance of 380 kilometers from Kathmandu. The magnificent Janaki Mandir was built by the Queen of Tikamgarh (India), Maharani Brishabhanu Kunwari Devi in 1811 A.D as a mark of devotion to Janaki (Goddess Sita). The marriage anniversary of Lord Rama and Sita is solemnised in Janakpur every year on Vivah Panchami day which falls in December. This is one of the biggest festivals of this region attended by hundreds and thousands of devotees from Nepal and India. Near Janakpur town is a place known as Dhanusha Dham, which is connected with the great Hindu epic Ramayana. According to the epic, one of the three pieces of the Great Bow that Lord Rama broke to win Sita’s hand in marriage fell on this site – in present day Dhanusha Dham.