Janakpurdham or Janakpur (), is the capital city of

Madhesh Province Madhesh Province () is a Provinces of Nepal, province of Nepal in the Terai region with an area of covering about 6.5% of the country's total area. It has a population of 6,126,288 as per the 2021 Nepal census, making it Nepal's most densely po ...

. This sub-metropolitan city is a central hub for the

Maithili language Maithili ( , ) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in parts of India and Nepal. It is native to the Mithila region, which encompasses parts of the eastern Indian states of Bihar and Jharkhand as well as Nepal's Koshi Province, Koshi and Madhesh P ...

, as well as for religious and cultural tourism in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

. The city was founded in the early 18th century but was retrospectively designated as the location of the capital of the

Videha Videha ( Prākrit: ; Pāli: ; Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern Indian subcontinent whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Videha, the Vaidehas, were initially organised into a monarchy ...

kingdom, although there is no archaeological evidence to support this. Janakpur is located about southeast of

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

. , the city had a population of 195,438, with a density of 2,125/km². Janakpur is currently the fourth most densely populated city in Nepal. Janakpur is located about 23 km from the Bhitthamore border with India. Nepal Railways operates a service between Janakpur and Jainagar in India.

Etymology

Janakpurdham, popularly known as Janakpur is named after the ancient King of the Videha kingdom in the Mithila region - ''

Janaka Janaka (, IAST: ''Janaka'') is the King of Videha who ruled from Mithila (region), Mithila, in the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Janaka was married to Sunayana (Ramayana), Sunayana. He is the father of Sita and Urmila in the epic. The term Janaka ...

''.The rulers of the Videha kingdom were accorded the title Janaka, meaning 'father' in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, and this character is the best-known bearer of the same.

History

Accounts from

ascetic Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their pra ...

pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...

s, and

bard In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...

s suggest that Janakpur was founded in the early 18th century. The earliest description of Janakpur as a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

site dates back to 1805. Earlier

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

evidence of an ancient city's presence has not been found, and there is a lack of evidence to associate the modern-day city of Janakpur with the ancient capital of the

kingdom. Until the 1950s, Janakpur was a cluster of rural hamlets inhabited by farmers, artisans, priests, and clerks who worked for the monasteries that controlled the land. After the Independence Act in India, Janakpur expanded into a commercial center and became the capital of Dhanusa District in the 1960s.Burghart, R. (1988.) Cultural knowledge of hygiene and sanitation as a basis for health development in Nepal. Contributions to Nepalese Studies 15 (2): 185–211.

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

and Vardhamana

Mahavira Mahavira (Devanagari: महावीर, ), also known as Vardhamana (Devanagari: वर्धमान, ), was the 24th ''Tirthankara'' (Supreme Preacher and Ford Maker) of Jainism. Although the dates and most historical details of his lif ...

, the 24th and final ''

Tirthankara In Jainism, a ''Tirthankara'' (; ) is a saviour and supreme preacher of the ''Dharma (Jainism), dharma'' (righteous path). The word ''tirthankara'' signifies the founder of a ''Tirtha (Jainism), tirtha'', a fordable passage across ''Saṃsā ...

'' of the Jain religion, are said to have lived in Janakpur. The region was an important center in the history of Mithila during the

first millennium File:1st millennium montage.png, From top left, clockwise: Depiction of Jesus, the central figure in Christianity; The Colosseum, a landmark of the once-mighty Roman Empire; Kaaba, the Great Mosque of Mecca, the holiest site of Islam; Chess, a ne ...

.Rastriya Samachar Samiti (2004)
"More Indian tourists visit Janakpurdham"
. Himalayan Times, 17 January 2004. Following the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 between the Nepali rulers and the British East India Company, the northern part of ancient Mithila state, including Janakpur, became part of Nepal, while the southern part became part of India.

Demographics

, the Janakpur municipality had 19,195 households and a population of 98,446 people with a density of 4,000 people per square kilometer. In 2015, it was declared a sub-metropolitan city that incorporates 11 surrounding villages. The current population is 173,924 people, making it the sixth largest city in Nepal. Maithili is widely spoken in the area as the first language and is also used as the

lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, link language or language of wider communication (LWC), is a Natural language, language systematically used to make co ...

. Nepali, Hindi, Marwari, and English are well understood. Languages like

Bhojpuri Bhojpuri may refer to: * Bhojpuri language, an Indo-Aryan language of India and Nepal * Bhojpuri grammar, grammatical rules of the language * Bhojpuri nouns, nouns of the language * Bhojpuri people, people who speak the language * Bhojpuri region ...

and Awadhi are understood but less frequently used. More than 90 percent of the total population is

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

, with the rest being

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

and

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

Economy

Janakpur is one of the fastest-developing cities in Nepal and is the largest sub-metropolitan city in the country. The city has good healthcare facilities, several parks, private schools, colleges, and internet service providers. There are medical, engineering, and management colleges that are affiliated with

Tribhuvan University Tribhuvan University (TU; ) is a public university located in Kirtipur, Kathmandu Valley, Kathmandu, Nepal. Established in 1959, TU is the oldest and the largest university in Nepal. It offers 1,000 undergraduate and 500 postgraduate programs a ...

. The economy is mostly based on tourism, agriculture, and local industries. The paintings on pottery, walls, and courtyards created by Maithili women are known as Mithila art. Janakpur attracts migrants from the surrounding areas, who move to the city for medical care, education, and jobs. The largest employers were the Janakpur Cigarette Factory Limited and Janakpur Railway until they closed in 2013 due to political corruption and heavy debts. By the end of 2018, services was resumed. The Zonal Hospital, Zonal Police, and the banking sector help the locals maintain a relatively comfortable lifestyle. Several banks operate in Janakpur, offering a range of financial services. These include Nepal Bank Limited, Rastriya Banijya Bank, Agricultural Development Bank, Nabil Bank, NIC Asia Bank, Prabhu Bank, Everest Bank, Machhapuchhre Bank, Sanima Bank, Global IME Bank, Siddhartha Bank, Nepal SBI Bank, and Mega Bank Nepal Limited. In addition, the Nepal Rastra Bank has a provincial office in Janakpur to regulate banking activities in the region.

Geography and climate

Janakpur is located in the

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...

, where the climate is

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

. The months of March and April are hot, dry, and windy. The

wet season The wet season (sometimes called the rainy season or monsoon season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. Generally, the season lasts at least one month. The term ''green season'' is also sometimes used a ...

lasts from May to September, followed by a mild, dry autumn from October to November. Winter is cold from December to February. The major rivers surrounding Janakpur are the Dudhmati, Jalad, Rato, Balan, and Kamala.

Transport

Roadways

Frequent bus services operate between Janakpur and other Nepalese cities. Within the city,

cycle rickshaw The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport. It is a type of tricycle designed to carry passengers on a vehicle for hire, for-hire basis. It is also known by a variety of other names such as bike taxi, velotaxi, pedicab, bi ...

s, electric rickshaws, tempos (three-wheeled vehicles), and buses are available. A few bus services operate to the Indian cities of Sitamarhi,

Patna Patna (; , ISO 15919, ISO: ''Paṭanā''), historically known as Pataliputra, Pāṭaliputra, is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India. According to the United Nations, ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

and

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

as part of the Ramayan Circuit, promoting religious tourism in Nepal and India.

Railways

Jaynagar–Bardibas railway line, operated by Nepal Railways is the only operational railway in

. It connects Janakpur to

Siraha Siraha ( Nepali: , ) is the headquarters and municipality of Siraha District, a part of Madhesh Province, Nepal. Siraha had a population of 28,442 according to the census of 2011. and a population of 82,531 as of 2015. The current population of Si ...

at the Nepal-India border and continues further to the Indian city of Jaynagar,

Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...

. There is a customs checkpoint in Siraha for goods.

Airways

Janakpur has a

domestic airport A domestic airport is an airport that handles only flights within the same country. Domestic airports do not have customs and immigration facilities and so cannot handle flights to or from a foreign airport. These airports often have short r ...

with most flights connecting to

, There are plans of expanding it as a regional airport.

Culture

Religious sites

The Janaki Mandir is in the centre of Janakpur, northwest of the market. It is one of the biggest temples in Nepal and was built in 1898 (1955 in the Nepali calendar) by Queen Brisabhanu Kunwari of Tikamgarh. It is also called ''Nau Lakha Mandir,'' named after the construction cost, said to be nine

lakh A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2, 2, 3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. F ...

gold coins.Mishra, K. C. (1996). Pilgrimage centres and tradition in Nepal. In: D. P. Dubey (ed) Rays and Ways of Indian Culture. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi. The temple is architecturally unique in Nepal: its inner sanctum contains a flower-covered statue of Sita which was found in the

Sarayu The Sarju ( Kumaoni: सरज्यू, Hindi: सरयू), also known as Saryu, is a major river draining Central Kumaon region in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Originating from Sarmul, Sarju flows through the cities of Kapkot, Bageshw ...

River near Ayodhya. Statues of Rama and his brothers Lakshman, Bharat, and Satrughna stand beside Sita. Adjacent to the Janaki Mandir is the Rama Sita Vivaha Mandir, a building that commemorates the marriage of Rama and Sita. Often considered one of the oldest temples in Janakpur is Sri Ram Temple, is said to have been built by the Gorkhali General

Amar Singh Thapa Amar Singh Thapa distinguished as Badakaji Amar Singh Thapa(), or Amar Singh Thapa The Elder, (also spelled Ambar Simha) also known by the honorific name Bada Kaji ("Senior Kaji") or Budha Kaji ("The Old Kaji"), was a Gorkha Kingdom, Gorkhali mil ...

.(citation does not exist, false claim) Pilgrims also visit over 200 sacred ponds in the city for ritual baths. The two most important ponds, Dhanush Sagar and Ganga Sagar, are located close to the city center. Srisita ram laxman hanuman manor.JPG, Deities of Sri Sita Devi (far right) and Sri Rama (centre) (with Sri Lakshmana (far left) and Sri Hanuman (below seated)) Mani mandap.jpg, Pond in front of Mani mandap, Rani Bazar. The place where the marriage of Ram and Sita actually happened. Ram Janaki Biwaha mandap.JPG, Ram Janaki Biwaha Mandap Hanuman Temple-Kadam chowk-Janakpurdham-IMG 6839.jpg, Hanuman Mandir, Kadam Chowk Janaki Temple Janakpur-Holi 060315 MG 39110337.jpg, Janaki Mandir Ram Mandir, Janakpur, Nepal.jpg, Ram Mandir, Janakpur, Mithila

Other religious sites

* Vivah Mandap temple is situated next to the Janaki Mandir * Ram Tower is also next to Janaki Mandir. It was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, located to the south of Ram Temple. * Kapileshwar Temple

Festivals

Major religious celebrations include the Hindu festivals of

Vivaha Panchami Vivaha Panchami () is a Hindu festival celebrating the wedding of Rama and Sita in Janakpurdham which was the capital city of Mithila (region), Mithila. It is observed on the fifth day of the Paksha, Shukla paksha or waxing phase of moon in the ...

Dipawali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual ...

, and

Vijayadashami Vijayadashami (), more commonly known as Dassahra in Hindi, and also known as Dashāhra or Dashain in Bhojpuri, Maithili and Nepali, is a major Hindu festival celebrated every year at the end of Durga Puja and Navaratri, Navarahtri. It is ob ...

, followed by Chhath Puja, which is celebrated six days after

Diwali Diwali (), also called Deepavali (IAST: ''Dīpāvalī'') or Deepawali (IAST: ''Dīpāwalī''), is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions such as Jainism and Sikhism. It symbolises the spiritual v ...

, and

Makar Sankranti Makar(a) Sankrānti (), () also referred to as Uttarāyana, Makara, or simply Sankrānti, is a Hinduism, Hindu observance and a mid-winter harvest festival in India and Nepal. It is typically celebrated on 14 January annually (15 January on a ...

. On the night of the full moon in February or March, before the festival of

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

, a one-day

Parikrama Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indian religions, Indic religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only ...

(circumambulation) of the city is observed. Many people offer prostrated obeisances along the entire route. Two other festivals honor Rama and Sita:

Rama Navami Rama Navami () is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Rama, one of the most popularly revered deities in Hinduism, also known as the seventh avatar of Vishnu. He is often held as an emblem within Hinduism for being an ideal king and h ...

, the birthday of Lord Rama, and the Vivaha Panchami that re-enacts the wedding of Rama and Sita at the Vivah Mandap temple on the fifth day of the waxing moon in November or early December.

Education

Janakpur has educational facilities where several of the country's elites went to school, including the first president of the Federal Republic of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, and former DPM (Deputy Prime Minister),

Bimalendra Nidhi Bimalendra Nidhi (Maithili language, Maithili/Nepali language, Nepali/Devanagari: बिमलेन्द्र निधि ) is a Nepali politician who serves as a member of the House of Representatives (Nepal), House of Representatives and ...

. There are many private and government schools and colleges located in Janakpur. One of the oldest government colleges of Nepal, Ramsworup Ramsagar Bahumukhi Campus, which is a constituent campus of

, is located in Janakpur. Janakpur also has Rajarshi Janak University for higher studies. Janakpur also has a medical college, Janaki Medical College, which is also affiliated with Tribhuvan University. Similarly, for engineering studies, the city has Central Engineering College, affiliated to Purbanchal University. Janakpur also have one autonomous institute named Madesh Institute of Health Sciences (MIHS). Janakpur is the educational hub for high school. There are hundreds of high school like Shree Saraswati Ma Vï, Sankat Mochan School, MIT School, New English School and many more. And many colleges like Model Multiple College, MIT, Dhanusha Science Campus, Rajshree Janak Campus are also there for higher studies in different streams.

Libraries

Gangasagar Public Library was established in 1955 and is situated between two historical ponds of Janakpur—Dhanuschatra Pond and Ganga Sagar. The library was reopened to the public in 2012. In recent times, a team of active and committed local youth workers has contributed to the revival of this library by organizing public book collections for the library. It is open daily for three hours, mainly for newspaper-reading, but has few daily visitors. Ramswaroop Ramsagar Multiple Campus library is also accessible to the general public.

Media

The local media of Janakpur primarily consists of several community radio stations, some TV channels, and a few print newspapers, such as Janakpur Today. Local Janakpur media primarily consists of radio shows, such as ''Mithila Jagaran''.

Sister cities

, India ** Ayodhya and Janakpur became sister cities in November 2014. Ayodhya is the birthplace of

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

and Janakpur is the birthplace of his consort,

Sita Sita (; ), also known as Siya, Jānaki and Maithili, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic ''Ramayana''. Sita is the consort of Rama, the avatar of god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of goddess Lakshmi. She is t ...

Gallery

Janaki Mandir, Janakpur 20211009.jpg, Night view of Janaki Temple Janaki Temple Janakpur-Janakpur030315 MG 36720063.jpg, Inside view of Janaki Temple Vivah Mandap, Janakpur-September 22, 2016-IMG 7332.jpg, Way to Vivah Mandap Vivah Mandap, Janakpur-September 22, 2016-IMG 7327-Pano.jpg, Vivah Manadap Senior leader Nidhi in Janaki temple.jpg, Former Deputy Prime minister and NC Vice president

at Janaki Mandir The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi at Janaki Mandir, in Janakpur, Nepal on May 11, 2018 (3).JPG, Indian PM Modi in Janakpur wearing famous Maithili cap, Paag Sunset_and_vacant_rails_in_lock-down.jpg, Sunset over railway track near Janakpur Vedi.jpg, Vedi, mani mandap, Janakpur Janakpur Station, Nepal Railways-20160923-IMG 7914.jpg, Abandoned Old Train at Janakpur station Atrts of janakpur.jpg, Mithila art Arts of janakpur@@.jpg, Puctue depuctin King Janak ploughing to discover

Mata 2009-03 Janakpur 36.jpg, Janakpur in 2000's Janakpur Visit1.jpg, First president of Republic Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav visiting Janakpur The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Nepal, Shri K.P. Sharma Oli flags off the bus service from Nepal’s Janakpur to Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, at Janakpur, Nepal on May 11, 2018.JPG, Janakpur-Ayodhya bus 2009-03 Janakpur 24.jpg, Old picture of Janaki High School JanakpurMuraliChowk.jpg, Murali Chowk in 2000's Janakpur Airport Tower New.jpg, Construction of New Airport buildings

References

External links

{{Provincial capitals of Nepal Populated places in Dhanusha District Populated places in Mithila, Nepal Dhanusha District Places in the Ramayana Nepal municipalities established in 1962 Submetropolitan municipalities of Nepal Nepalese capital cities