Janakpurdham

Nepal / Dhanusa / Janakpur /
 city, capital city of state/province/region

Janakpur, also known as Janakpurdham, is one of the historical and religious city of Nepal. Janakpur is the administrative headquarter of Dhanusa District of the Janakpur Zone and has a population of approximately 80,000. Janakpur has a substantial tourist industry due to its significance in the Hindu religion and is home to the only operational railway in Nepal, the Janakpur Railway.Janakpur, historically called Mithilanchal, is the centre of the ancient Maithil culture, which has its own language and script.

The first millennium BC text Shatapatha Brahmana tells that the king Māthava Videgha, led by his priest Gotama Rahugana, first crossed the Sadānirā (Gandaka) river and founded the kingdom of Videha, whose capital city was Mithila. As Gotama Rahugana composed many hymns in the Rgveda, these events must date to the Rgvedic period.

The most important historical reference to Mithila/Janakpur is in the Hindu epic Ramayana, where Lord Rama's wife Sita Devi (also called Janaki) is said to have been the princess of Videha. Her father, King Janak, found baby Sita in a furrow of a field and raised her as his daughter. When she grew up, the king announced that she should be wed by whoever was able to string the divine bow of Shiva. Though many royal suitors tried, Lord Rama, prince of Ayodhya, alone could even lift the bow. As Rama and Sita are major figures in Hinduism, Janakpur is an important pilgrimage site for Hindus.

In addition, both the great saints Gautama Buddha, founder of Buddhism, and Vardamana Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of the Jain religion, are said to have lived in Mithila/Janakpur. The region was an important centre of Indian history during the first millennium.
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   26°44'14"N   85°55'14"E

Comments

  • it is a birth place of god sita wife of god rama.i am happy to see from this site.
  • Hi, 370 kilometers South-east of Kathmandu, Janakpur, the headquarter of Dhanusha district, falls in Janakpur Zone of Nepal. It is a place of immense religious and historical significance as it had once been the capital of ancient Mithila, the Kingdom which on many of its frontiers is believed to have been guarded by different cities. In Janakpur there are many ancient temples and artistic statues which remind of the glorious and religious chapters written about Maithil culture in the history of Nepal. The ?Naulakha Mandir is the most famous temple among all. This temple was built by the Indian queen of Tikamgarh named Brishavanu Kuwari 77 years ago at the cost of nine lakhs rupees. So it is also called Naulakha Mandir, Janaki Mahal and Shish Mahal. This is a centre of attraction for both tourists and pilgrims. This is the biggest temple of Nepal after the world famous temple of Lord Pashupati Nath located in Kathmandu on the western bank of the river Bagmati. The present Janaki Mandir is said to have been constructed in 1968 B.S. (1911 A.D.). The temple?s architecture is immensely influenced by the regional affiliation of the donor. This temple is architecturally unique in Nepal, showing Mogul influence though it remained by and large outside the Muslim cultural domain. For instance, the Ram temple of Janakpur which was built by General Amarsingh Thapa of Nepal in 1939 B.S. (1822 A.D.) is the finest example of the pagoda style of Nepal, while Janaki temple built by the Queen of Tikamgarh has the North Indian style. Amar Singh Thapa also built Hanuman temple, Janak temple and renovated some of the ponds like Ganga Sagar and Dhanukha Sagar. In Nepali year 1984 (1927 A.D.), Maharaja Chandra Shamsher donated a kalash (spire) of gold to the Ram temple. He also renovated this temple some 61 years ago. Janakpur?s significance as a great traditional city and religious centre of Hindu pilgrimage mainly lies in its being a place where Sita was born and married to Ram. The matrimonial ceremony day of this divine couple is celebrated on the fifth day of the bright fortnight in the month of Agrahan (Nov.-Dec.) and is known as ?Vivah Panchami?. The birthday of Sita falls on the ninth day of the bright fortnight of Baishakh (April-May) and is known as Janaki Navami. That's What Janakpur is, well connect to Air, Road & Railway too.
  • my hometown
  • mine too
  • I like jankpur dham because there arevery nice temples, railwe station, campus,students,hiaway etc.
  • very nice
  • JanakpurDham is one of the important place in Hindu religion because it is the where goddess Sita was born. and i love this place because it is my hometown
  • Its good but information given here is not sufficient it must be updated
  • Happy journey to Janakpur dham.. Hv nice time n enjoy ur life..
  • Табачная фабрика в Джанакпуре была построена с помощью советских специалистов.
  • your place is very nice...
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This article was last modified 8 years ago